Harry Potter and the Chasm of Life
by theguitarist
Summary: Harry is entering his sixth year at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But with dark times ahead, Harry will face trouble both inside and outside of Hogwarts to repel the return of Lord Voldemort...COMPLETE! Still review as sequel is coming!
1. The Muggle Raids

Note: I do not own Harry Potter, nor unfortunately any of the associated films, tapes or characters from the stories. This story is set after JK Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix". This contains spoilers - sorry!  
  
Harry Potter and the Chasm of Life  
  
Chapter 1 - The Muggle Raids  
  
Dusk was falling over a dishevelled landscape, and people were running all over the place. Occasional flashes of light illuminated the carnage that had been the park of Little Whinging. Down one street a group of boys ran, no longer maintaining there fierce pride in their strength, all that custom had been long forgotten this day. Dudley Dursley and his gang were running, panicking and screaming down the streets. Fear etched across his podgy face, Dudley ran for his house, as fast as his thick legs would let him. The door burst open ahead of him, as behind him a boy with jet-black hair tore after him, his wand held firmly in his grasp. Harry Potter slammed the door shut behind him, and after drawing the curtains, he went upstairs and grabbed a small box of floo powder he had been given earlier that summer.  
  
Harry Potter had found out after getting back from school (Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry) that his Aunt and Uncle's house had been permanently connected to the floo network, with a small fire built in, although only Dumbledore, the Weasley's and Hermione knew this. Opening up his cupboard, Harry threw some of the powder onto the fireplace in there, which erupted in green flame.  
  
"Number 12 Grimmauld Place!" Harry said, before quickly thrusting his head into the fire. Harry had only done this once before, in Professor Umbridge's office last year at Hogwarts, and he was trying to reach the same place now, under equally serious circumstances. Harry felt the odd feeling of his neck being stretched as his head zoomed through endless pipes until suddenly his head popped out in the fire place of Number 12, Grimmauld Place. Harry spotted a familiar man, his long white hair shimmering on his back.  
  
"DUMBLEDORE!" yelled Harry. Dumbledore span around and Harry didn't let him start talking. "Dumbledore! There are Death Eaters! Death Eaters in Privet Drive!" Dumbledore gave Harry a small nod and disappeared in a swirl of his coat. Harry fear lifted slightly, and he was almost smiling as he saw Remus Lupin stride into the room. His face was even more lined so than it usually was, and Harry guessed that this must have been because of Sirius.  
  
Harry had spent a lot of the summer just in quiet, contemplating the death of his godfather Sirius Black. Sirius' very own cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, had killed him in front of Harry's eyes, two months ago in the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic. Harry had chased after her afterwards, and had ended up having Voldemort, the Dark Lord who had killed his parents over 15 years ago, trying to possess Harry's body. Harry had survived due to a force which ran through his veins, a force which according to a lost prophecy, was the "power the Dark Lord knows not.". But Sirius had died that day, and Harry had been grieving for him privately, his mood swings more and more prominent now and more and more swinging further into a deep depression. Lupin looked like he also had been deeply saddened by the death. Sirius had been the only friend of Lupin's since his Hogwarts days, who he could trust. Sirius was dead. James Potter was dead. And Peter Pettigrew was on the loose again, and on the side of the Dark Lord.  
  
Lupin gave Harry a shocked look; he must have heard what he'd said. "Death Eaters? In Little Whinging? Harry, go back, I'll be with you in a second. Just go!" Harry pulled his head back and soon he was lying sprawled on his bedroom floor. Harry felt a hand pull him to his feet, and he turned to face Dumbledore, who looked grave.  
  
"There are many Death Eaters out tonight Harry, but they are not here to get you. They are here merely to scare you. These are the ones who have since joined Voldemort's cause, as we currently still have Mr Malfoy and all the others caught in the Department of Mysteries in containment."  
  
Harry nodded. It made sense: he had seen pictures of the Death Eaters placed without wands into a special chamber in the Department of Mysteries, where apparating was impossible, and where Aurors guarded day and night. He looked back up at Dumbledore, who continued.  
  
"We must move you from here Harry. Go to Grimmauld Place. Lupin is waiting for you there."  
  
Harry grabbed his trunk, his Firebolt, his cauldron and Hedwig's cage, (whose occupant hooted blearily), and strode into the fire. He was about to say the words "Grimmauld Place", when the house shook violently. Harry fell out of the fireplace, his possessions scattering around him. His scar burned on his forehead, much stronger than it had done over the past few weeks.  
  
"He is here." He whispered to himself. Quickly righting Hedwig's cage, Harry looked out the window.  
  
Dumbledore was out on the street, and he had most of the Death Eater's wrapped up in an invisible chord, yet two rogues remained. Harry's stomach went icy.  
  
Standing at the end of the road, were Lord Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange. Dumbledore was facing them, his face white, his expression livid. He followed Voldemort's gaze and looked up to see Harry poking his head out of the window.  
  
"Come out little Potter!" taunted Voldemort. "Come out and we won't kill your Aunt and Uncle!"  
  
Harry was bewildered, his Aunt and Uncle were sheltering downstairs, but there they were, cowering behind Bellatrix Lestrange, who had her wand on them.  
  
"Crucio." She muttered. Harry blanched as his Uncle writhed on the floor, screaming, rolling in agony as the Cruciatus Curse took its effect. Harry ran downstairs, and had one hand on the door before he heard it. A small voice whispering to him.  
  
"Harry?" he walked into the living room, to see his Aunt, Uncle and Cousin hiding behind the sofa. Harry realised in an instant what Voldemort's game was, and so he retreated back to his room muttering warnings to the Dursley's to stay where they were. He looked out of his window and laughed at Voldemort.  
  
"You'll have to do better than that to get me out of here!" Harry laughed at Voldemort, taunting him while quietly drawing out his own wand. As Voldemort grew angry he fired a spell at the neighbour's house, which burst into flame. Harry took his chance. While Voldemort's wand was out he yelled a quick spell.  
  
"Accio wands!" Harry had just been fast enough. Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange's wands flew into his hands, as the fake Dursley's exploded as the spell ended. Voldemort reeled for a second, before snapping his fingers in the air, and they vanished. Dumbledore appeared by Harry's side.  
  
"Well done Harry! But now you MUST go to Grimmauld Place. Voldemort could be back at any second with a new wand. Besides, I dare say Remus would be happy to see you." With a small twinkling smile, Dumbledore went back down to the street as Ministry wizards arrived to clear up, and memories were modified. Harry picked up his belongings, and walked to the fireplace. "Grimmauld Place!" He said, and he felt the familiar feeling, as he was heading back to Sirius' house. 


	2. Revelations at Grimmauld Place

Chapter 2 - Revelations at Grimmauld Place  
  
Harry landed with a small thud, but somehow managing to retain his balance, before straightening up and looking around. The room he was in was small, its stony floor rippling across the room like some sort of wave. In the middle of the room stood a large table, with many chairs of all sizes crammed around it. To one side of the room stood a small cooking area, with a hearth and some large storage cupboards. But Harry's eyes were drawn to the figure, which was now hurrying across the room.  
  
"Harry!" Remus cried, as he embraced Harry. Harry could tell Lupin was desperately in need of some friendly company, so he hugged him back. Lupin stepped back to help Harry pick up Hedwig's cage, which had fallen out of his hand as he'd arrived. Hedwig gave a small hoot of thanks, as Lupin turned once again to Harry.  
  
"Don't worry," he said, "Everything in Privet Drive is ok, and your Aunt and Uncle are safe. Your neighbours memories are being modified, much to your relatives relief I think." Lupin smiled slyly at Harry as he said this, almost as if he understood Uncle Vernon's paranoia as well as Harry did. Lupin continued.  
  
"I suppose you should get upstairs, usual room at the top Harry. Dinner is at seven, and then all will be explained as to what's been going on."  
  
Harry trooped upstairs, dragging with him his cauldron, which contained his Firebolt, his books, his robes and all his other wizarding equipment. Entering the room, he saw a familiar portrait on the wall. It was that of Phinneas Nigellus, but it was empty at the moment. Harry flung himself down on the bed for a quick rest before dinner.  
  
*  
  
Walking slowly downstairs at a quarter to seven, Harry smelt an interesting aroma from the kitchen. He walked in to find Professors Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall sitting around the table, while Lupin was up at the heart heating some kind of soup. The talking stopped as Harry entered, before Dumbledore greeted Harry.  
  
"Ah Harry! I have just been telling Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall about today's events." He gestured to the chair next to him. "Come, have a seat!" Harry felt quite uncomfortable as he listening over his soup, hearing about how Professor McGonagall had spent most of her summer placing protection spells on her house, and about how her owl had died recently after being attacked by some creature. As Harry finished his soup, attention turned to him.  
  
"So Harry, I suppose you are full of questions are you not?" Dumbledore pushed his soup bowl towards Professor McGonagall, who was clearing up.  
  
Harry thought for a moment before speaking. "What has Voldemort been up to this summer? I haven't been getting the daily prophet, like you told me too." Harry tailed off. It was true Dumbledore had told him not to receive mail from anyone since he'd had the floo fire set up, as it reduced the risk or both interception and also of sabotage - meaning no one could send Harry a hex.  
  
Dumbledore looked at Harry gravely. "Voldemort has been very active over the summer. He has persuaded many more people to his "cause"" (at this Dumbledore let out a sigh) "and he has already amassed a large army. Large enough indeed, to require a headquarters." Dumbledore looked at Harry in a slightly pitying fashion, as if trying to forewarn Harry what was to come next was not good news. It wasn't. "He has taken Azkaban."  
  
Harry let out a gasp. He had honestly been expecting this to happen, but it had happened much sooner then he had expected. Dumbledore continued.  
  
"The Dementors joined him almost as soon as his return to power was announced. The prisoners in Azkaban have joined him, and any who didn't was handed over to the Dementors." He paused for a moment, so Harry started to ask another question.  
  
"How do you know.." He tailed off as his gaze moved across the table. He let out a soft sigh, and Dumbledore nodded.  
  
"Indeed, Professor Snape has been spying on Lord Voldemort for us. At great personal risk." Snape gave a superior smirk at this as Dumbledore carried on. "We have found out much through Professor Snape's hard work, including whom Voldemort has so far recruited in his army." Dumbledore elaborated at Harry's frown. "For example we know most of the creatures he has recruited. I cannot tell you which I am afraid, so please feel to let your mind wander and imagine. Unfortunately, we do not know which people he has recruited yet, as they are all kept separate."  
  
Harry nodded at this. He had heard before of how Lord Voldemort had kept people apart to stop traitors, when he had been inside courtroom six in Dumbledore's penseive.  
  
"Now Harry I must ask you a question." Harry shifted uncomfortably, as he was not horribly aware of how the three teachers and Remus were all focusing intensely on him. "Harry. will you join the Order of the Phoenix?"  
  
Harry had to stop himself from sighing with relief, or then from jumping in his seat. "Yes! Of course I will!" Harry smiled broadly, as did Dumbledore and Lupin, although Snape looked slightly surly. Harry was just starting to wonder why, when Dumbledore carried on.  
  
"Good man Harry! I will tell you what I want you to do at the beginning of term. But now you look dead on your feet. Go now and rest, Lupin will look after you hear for a couple of days, though I daresay we shall see you again soon." With a twinkle in his eye, Dumbledore, followed by Professor McGonagall and Snape, went back to Hogwarts through the small fire in the corner, as Lupin bade Harry goodnight.  
  
Harry looked around him in his room. He smiled fondly at the dirty portraits, the ruffled carpet and even at the bland ceiling itself. This, despite appearances, was more like it. This was home. 


	3. A birthday to remember

A birthday to remember  
  
Harry awoke the following morning surprisingly late, and he took a few seconds to realise where he was. Taking his time washing and dressing, Harry found it to be approaching midday when he finally walked downstairs and into the kitchen.  
  
"SURPRISE!" Harry nearly fell over, but soon recovered and found himself beaming as first Hermione and then Mrs Weasley hugged him. Staggering upwards for air, he looked around at Ron, (laughing in his chair), Fred and George Weasley, (nudging each other and winking at Harry) and Ginny also trying to give Harry a hug. After embracing Ginny, Harry spotted two more people.  
  
"Bill? Charlie? Wow! What are you all doing here?" Harry, who had finally regained control of his senses, was now slightly puzzled.  
  
"Yes, good point George, why did you bring us here?" said Fred before they could answer.  
  
"What? I didn't, I was following Ginny!" said George in mock anger.  
  
"Me? But I was right behind Fred!" cried Ginny. Her brother's irrepressible nature and sense of humour had been growing in Ginny for many years, and Harry laughed at how quick she had become at taking part in their jokes.  
  
Everyone else laughed also. Ron was, incredibly, first to react. "Well if you'd just care to look at those objects over there maybe you'd know why we are here!"  
  
Harry looked where he was indicating. Presents. And then it clicked. Harry walked to the other side of them room to check the newspapers date. Harry laughed out of pure joy, but Hermione was frowning slightly.  
  
"What?" said Harry bluntly.  
  
Hermione's expression shifted to one of being in thought before she replied. "You really don't look forward to your birthdays do you?"  
  
Harry fell silent for a second. "Err... no, not really." Harry realised straight away how ungrateful that must have sounded and, after mentally kicking himself, he continued. "But my more recent birthdays have been better, thanks to all of you! So thanks for everything you've given me..." Harry started towards the presents but Mrs Weasley stopped him.  
  
"Wait until a bit later dear, when all the others are here." She said softly.  
  
"...All the others?" replied Harry blankly. But Mrs Weasley just smiled at him and left the room. Harry looked around at the others for some form of hint, but all of them just grinned at him. Harry gave up and threw himself down in a chair to talk about the events of the previous night.  
  
The rest of the day was spent idly talking, about what had been done since the end of term, what Lord Voldemort had been up to since the fight at the Ministry, and about who might be the next Prime Minister. For Harry had found out that Fudge had fled his desk and was currently inside St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies. It seemed that his being wrong for a year about Voldemort, Voldemort's return and finally the taking of Azkaban had all been too much for him.  
  
Harry also had a lot of fun trying to persuade them to tell him who was coming that evening. All he had found out so far was that they would be here at about six o'clock. As that time approached, Harry got slightly nervous. All these people to see him?  
  
At five minutes past six, the first guests arrived. The fireplace leapt up in all its green flamed glory, and out stepped Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Remus Lupin all stepped out of the fire place in succession. After being hugged by Tonks and shaking hands with the three other men, (Lupin had gone straight upstairs with a cheery smile at Harry), when the fire roared up again. Amos Diggory's tall form stepped out of the fire.  
  
He was looking much happy then when Harry had seen him last (after Cedric's death), but he still had a deadened look in his eyes that told Harry quite plainly, that his son's death was still a haunting memory. Amos shook Harry's hand as he addressed the room.  
  
"Sorry if I'm late! Arthur apologises but he will be slightly late as he was called into a last minute meeting. He says to let Harry get on with it!" There was a ripple of laughter around the room but, for the second time that day, Mrs Weasley stopped Harry opening the presents.  
  
"Wait there's a couple more I'm waiting for..." Harry span around as the fireplace again lit up the room with an eerie green glow, as Albus Dumbledore, then Professor McGonagall, and finally Rubeus Hagrid emerged out of the fireplace.  
  
Hagrid was slightly less warm than usual towards Harry for a moment, and Harry guessed this was because Harry had dropped Care of Magical Creatures. Harry had been forced to drop it, as he did not want to take six subjects as N.E.W.T.S (Nastily Exhaustive Wizarding Tests) and (having passed Potions with a good grade), he had five other subjects towards reaching his Auror target. But although Hagrid seemed to have been trying to put across an image of being offended, his delight at seeing Harry over took him, and he pulled Harry into a rough hug.  
  
"How've yer been, alright?" Harry assured Hagrid he had been ok, and was about to apologise about not picking care of magical creatures, when Mrs Weasley cleared her throat.  
  
"Come on then Harry! You can start!" she said. Harry walked with trepidation over to the table – all these people just for his birthday? He picked up a small item from the end of the table, and heard Hermione's familiar sharp intake of breath. Turning to face her, he opened the present.  
  
Inside the wrapping paper was a glass case in which was held: a snitch. Harry frowned in slight puzzlement, before Hermione indicated the engraving on the back. Harry read:  
  
"The snitch caught by Viktor Krum in the World Cup final vs Ireland, which Ireland won by ten points."  
  
Harry breathed in slightly. "Wow Hermione!" Hermione positively beamed as Harry carefully turned the case around in his hands, observing the snitch minutely. Harry passed it around for all to see as he thanked Hermione, and turned to the next present – from Mad-Eye Moody.  
  
Gradually the noise level increased around Harry as he opened each present, with just the person whose gift it was coming over to watch Harry open it; and Harry relaxed. He hadn't liked all the pressure.  
  
After Mad-Eye's magic broom case (which was protected against most unlocking spells, including "Alohomora"), came Ginny's card and a voucher for Honeydukes. This was followed swiftly by Fred and George's card containing a certificate showing Harry to be the owner of 33% of the company shares, which was soon followed by a book from Tonks about Metamorphmagi. Tonks herself was a Metamorphmagus, which meant she could change her appearance at will. Ron had given him his usual huge supply of sweets, which Harry was sure Ron would devour mostly.  
  
There were now just four more presents and a card. Professor McGonagall gave Harry a book on Animagi and how people become them, giving Harry a very curious look at the same time.  
  
Slightly perturbed, Harry opened the next present – Hagrid's rock cakes. If possible they were even harder then last year, and Harry was quite sure they wouldn't end up being eaten by him. Kingsley Shacklebolt gave Harry an Auror guidebook, obviously having been tipped off to Harry's future aspirations by Professor McGonagall or another Order member.  
  
There was now just one present and one card. Harry opened the present first, from Amos Diggory and Mr and Mrs Weasley. Harry gasped. Season tickets to the Chudley Cannons, for four people. When Harry showed Ron and Ginny these, they both gasped and laughed with happiness. Harry went to the final card, which he opened and read.  
  
"Dear Harry, After everyone else has gone ask one of us for your present. We thought you might like some privacy with it. Have a great year, From Remus and Albus."  
  
Harry was puzzled, but decided to keep it from Hermione and Ron, and he let himself enjoy the rest of the party, which culminated in the most enormous cake Harry had ever seen.  
  
People started leaving, until just the Weasleys, Harry, Hermione and Lupin remained. Harry nodded at Lupin, who went upstairs, before returning with a small item wrapped in brown paper. Lupin carried it down to Harry and laid it in his hands, before ushering all except Ron and Hermione out of the room, whom Harry had let stay. He opened the package and out fell a book. On the front were the gold emblazoned words:  
  
"The diary of Lillian Jane Evans"  
  
Harry stared in mute silence. He was shell-shocked. He didn't know if he would ever read it. Lupin, seeing Harry's expression ushered Ron and Hermione out of the room, as Harry fought back the tears. Lupin sat down next to Harry.  
  
"I've never read it. It was the only thing found in the wreckage of Godric's hollow. Albus and I decided that you should have it on your sixteenth birthday. Are you alright Harry?"  
  
Harry tried to find his voice, and failed, so he just nodded. Lupin understood, and left Harry, who sat there in the darkness for a long time, unsure of whether he was happy of not. He was interrupted sometime later, at about 11 o'clock not by Mrs Weasley or Ron or Hermione (who were all upstairs with Lupin in Sirius' old living room), but by the fireplace turning suddenly emerald green. Harry looked up to see Mr Weasley stepping out of the fireplace, beaming.  
  
"Harry! Happy birthday!" Harry shook Arthur's hand, as Mr Weasley glanced at the book and suddenly understood Harry's less-than-jovial reception. "Ah... Lupin mentioned it to me just today so that I knew, but no one else did. You don't have to read it Harry. You know that right?"  
  
Harry finally found the ability to speak. "Thank you Mr Weasley." Mr Weasley nodded, then carried on speaking.  
  
"Well, I better get the others down here, as I have some... news." Harry looked up bewildered as Mr Weasley left, quickly returning with Mrs Weasley, Hermione and the Weasley children, who all gave Harry short glances before taking seats around the table.  
  
"As you know I was held back in a meeting today you see... Dumbledore was there briefly as well..." He tailed off for a second before continuing. "Well, no point beating about the bush... it was to try and find a new Prime Minister and... and... they've asked me!" Harry and Hermione gasped, Ron spluttered out his drink, and Ginny blanched. Mrs Weasley looked faint, and Charlie put an arm round her as Bill asked the question.  
  
"What did you say?"  
  
Mr Weasley looked at the faces around the table, which had now moved from shock to excitement. He beamed at them. "I said yes!"  
  
Fred and George leapt to their feet and hugged their father and Ginny and Ron joined Charlie in helping up and hugging their mother, who was by now smiling and crying tears of joy. Harry, Hermione and Lupin exchanged excited and slightly amused glances, before each individually shaking hands with Mr Weasley, and hugging Mrs Weasley. Then the fireplace turned green for what felt like the twentieth time that evening, and out stepped Percy Weasley.  
  
He was looking slightly untidy in ripped robes and it was obvious he had been crying. Everyone went quiet. Harry watched in astonishment as Mr and Mrs Weasley went over to their son and pulled him into a tight hug, as Bill and Charlie ushered the others upstairs, and out of the way. 


	4. Events at the Ministry

Only a shorty I'm afraid...  
  
Events at the Ministry  
  
Harry awoke the next morning after a full night's sleep, his first since that night at the ministry. Slightly surprised, but quite happy, he made his way downstairs, to find Ron talking to Percy. Ron's voice was slightly strained, and Harry understood that Ron must have been struggling to forgive Percy.  
  
For the summer previous to Harry's fifth year, Percy had walked out on the entire Weasley family in a storm of temper and ambition, to work for the Prime minister of the time, Cornelius Fudge. Ron had taken it pretty badly, constantly referring to Percy, (if ever he had to), as "the world's biggest git".  
  
Percy stood up as Harry entered the room. They both stood still for a moment. Both knew about the letter that Percy had written last year, advising Ron to stop being friends with Harry. Percy looked down at the floor.  
  
"I'm sorry." His voice was flat and depressed, and had lost all of its formerly pompous tones.  
  
"It's alright," Harry replied, taking a seat next to Ron, and taking a slice of toast from the small rack in the middle of the table. As Percy sat down again, a grateful look on his face, Harry turned to Ron. "Where is everyone else?"  
  
Ron quickly swallowed his toast. "Dad went in early, Mum's gone with him, as have Bill and Charlie. Ginny and Hermione are still in their room, and Fred and George have gone to work." At this Percy let out a small snort.  
  
"Work indeed!" he muttered. "Speaking of work... dad wanted me to go in, said something about getting me a similar position to the one I had, except in the Auror department now." There was just the faintest hint of smugness there that Harry picked up on, but Ron didn't. Percy approached the kitchen fireplace, but turned before leaving. "I'll see you both later."  
  
Harry and Ron saw him leave, but as Harry was about to ask Ron how he was, the fire burst into green flame again, and out walked Mrs Weasley, Bill and Charlie.  
  
"It's been madness this morning!" cried Mrs Weasley. "The Daily Prophet has a front page spread with Arthur on it, and there is a crowd of other newspaper reporters trying to grab a quick word everywhere! And then there's been news of a Death Eater attack on a small Muggle Town somewhere in the Southeast so all the Aurors are busy, not to mention the teachers conference going on at the ministry today also! Professor Snape said a quick hello but he was about to be trapped by the escalator doors so he left for his conference."  
  
Harry and Ron both roared with laughter at the thought of Snape being trapped in a lift door, as Ginny and Hermione came down the stairs.  
  
"What's so funny?" Hermione inquired. Harry was still chuckling slightly and looked at Ron, who waved it away with one hand, causing Harry to let out a derisive snort. One of her bushy eyebrows raised, Hermione sat down on the other side of the table. Ginny soon followed suited, seating herself opposite Harry.  
  
She was taller than when he had last seen her, taller indeed, than Hermione. The difference as they sat next to each other amazed Harry, but he didn't comment on it.  
  
*  
  
The day seemed doomed to pass in idleness, with Ron and Harry playing Wizards chess with Hermione talking to Ginny about O.W.Ls. Ginny, much to Harry's amusement, was having considerable trouble looking interested in what Hermione was saying. Hermione seemed to not have noticed. However, after dinner time when everyone was getting extremely bored with Hermione's complaints about not getting 100% on her defence against the dark arts exam, (the only exam which Harry had beaten Hermione in), Bill arrived looking very red in the face, a dismayed expression on his face.  
  
"What's wrong Bill?" said Ginny, as Mrs Weasley whipped around from the washing up.  
  
"The prisoners have escaped from the ministry!" 


	5. An Unexpected Letter

Sorry this took so long! I've been trying to read some other fics and also have had mini writer's block.  
  
An Unexpected Letter  
  
"What!" cried Harry, Ron and Hermione in unison.  
  
"They escaped this afternoon, around six o'clock. Two Aurors have been killed..." he trailed off.  
  
"Wh-Who?" stammered Mrs Weasley, who looked faint. Fred had his arm around her shoulders, and George, who seemed to be interpreting Bill's expression, went to sit next to Ginny and put an arm around her. Bill sighed.  
  
"One was Rena Holloway... and the other was Tonks."  
  
Harry was shocked. Tonks, dead? How could she be, how could she be? Harry looked around the room, at Ron, who was very white, at Ginny who was rocking quietly back in forwards with George, at Mrs Weasley who was crying into Fred's shoulder, but his attention was drawn by Hermione. She was crying harder even then Mrs Weasley. Harry was about to stand up to go to comfort her, but Ron stood up first, and he went and hugged her. Harry would have been shocked at Ron's emotional response, had he not been already been so shocked. He looked across at Bill, who had flung himself into a rickety chair in the corner of the room, and was absent-mindedly washing the pot Mrs Weasley had abandoned.  
  
"How... how did it happen?" asked Harry.  
  
"The Aurors think it was an insider, as there was no sign of a struggle... so they must have recognised him, or her." There was quiet for a moment, before Mrs Weasley got up, her face pale, her eyes raw with emotion, and tears frozen on her face.  
  
"I... I think we all should get some sleep... we're going to Diagon Alley tomorrow..." she paused, seemingly unsure as of what to say. "I... I think Tonks would have wanted you not to grieve, and to try not to get upset...." She herself started to cry, and Bill helped her out of the room.  
  
Fred and George guided Ginny out of the room, with soft, concerned expressions such as Harry had never seen. Ron, who had long returned to his seat, seemed to find his voice.  
  
"Think we should go up?" Harry nodded as he got up, and this time he went and helped Hermione up, who hugged him hard. Harry held her for a moment, before he and Ron gently steered her upstairs.  
  
Out of earshot to Hermione, Ron and Harry spoke briefly about what had happened. "There was all the Death Eaters from Privet Drive in there as well!" Ron said, his anger rising fast. "Who do you think was the insider?" Harry glanced at Ron, and knew they were both thinking the same thing.  
  
"But Dumbledore trusts him, and we've always been wrong about him before..." Harry put in, but he knew he was trying to convince himself as much as Ron.  
  
"If it was him..." Ron punched his fist into the palm of his other hand, his face red, as he went over to the window and yanked the curtains shut. "What a thing to happen on Dad's first day..." Ron lay down in his bed, and soon his snores filled the room, but Harry stayed awake for a long time, and he didn't hear Mr Weasley get back.  
  
*  
  
Next morning Harry woke early, to find Mrs Weasley opening the curtains in the room, and the early sunlight flooded the room. Mrs Weasley looked dishevelled, and Harry suspected that she too, had not had much sleep. Her face was drawn, and the dark smudges under her eyes resembled bruises. She spoke wearily.  
  
"Breakfast is ready downstairs... and a letter was sent to your house for you Harry, Hedwig brought it here." Dumping a small envelope on Harry's bed, she eased out of the room, drawing the door shut behind her.  
  
"Who's the le''er from 'arry?" Ron yawned, slowly sitting upright. Harry didn't recognise the writing, which was quite neat like Hermione's, but much larger. Opening the envelope a small package fell out, (which Harry ignored for the time being), and he scanned straight to the end of the relatively short letter to see who it was from.  
  
"It's from Angelina!" He was surprised, but more so at the expression of joy that was creeping over Ron's face. His puzzlement must have shown, as Ron frowned.  
  
"Don't you know what that is?" At Harry's expression, Ron laughed loudly and waved Harry to read the letter. Harry peered down at the parchment.  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
How are you? Are you having a good summer? I hope so.  
  
Since leaving Hogwarts I spoke to Oliver Wood and he said he'd get me a trial at Puddlemere United! And they are aiming for the playoffs this season!  
  
I am going out to look at broomsticks soon, so I must be brief. Having now left Hogwarts, as Quidditch captain, I had to delegate the next captain. And it wasn't a particularly hard choice. Enclosed is your badge, and I'm sure you will lead Gryffindor to a great triumph this year!  
  
Hope you are enjoying your holidays,  
  
Love Angelina.  
  
Harry gasped and, with trembling fingers, opened the package. A small, lion shaped red badge fell into his hand, with the word "Gryffindor" and below, the words "Quidditch Captain" emblazoned across in gold lettering. Harry let out a laugh himself, before walking over to his suitcase, and pinning them to his Quidditch robes.  
  
He and Ron dressed quickly, before heading downstairs. Harry got congratulations from Fred, George, Mrs Weasley and Hermione. Ginny said she would have made him captain had it been her choice, before blushing and helping Mrs Weasley.  
  
After breakfast, Harry, Hermione and the remaining Weasleys one by one stepped through the fire for Diagon Alley. Percy, Bill, Charlie and Mr Weasley were all at the ministry, and had all left, if they had indeed returned, much earlier in the morning. Fred and George were going to their shop, but stayed in the Leaky Cauldron upon arrival to talk to an overseas client.  
  
The Leaky Cauldron was a dingy looking pub, but purely for those who belonged in the wizarding world. As Harry looked around he could see many witches and wizards, some he recognised, but his eyes were quickly drawn to the enormous shape approaching him.  
  
"Hagrid!" Harry greeted Hagrid as warmly as he could, for Hagrid too had been in the Order, and must've known Tonks. "I suppose you heard about..." Harry trailed off. In answer, Hagrid held up his copy of the Daily Prophet, which had the headline "Prisoners Escape the Ministry" on the front.  
  
"Oh I heard alrigh'," Hagrid spoke bitterly, but nodded greeting at Hermione and Ron. "S'pose you're here to get your stuff fer school?" The three of them nodded, and Harry started to ask Harry what the Order knew about the escape, but Hagrid cut him off. "I don't know, and even if I did, I wouldn't tell yer." He had a finality in his tone that Harry hadn't heard Hagrid use before, but he accepted it without argument.  
  
Mrs Weasley started to chivvy them out of the rickety wooden back door so, muttering good byes to Hagrid, they all eased out of the seemingly ancient doorway to the back courtyard, where Harry leaned forward and tapped the brick above the dustbin.  
  
Diagon Alley was the wizarding high street of London. Old-fashioned shops leaned forward leeringly at each other, each trying to attract the most attention. As they headed towards the stone fortress that was Gringotts, Harry saw several people he knew, and agreed to meet up with Neville, Seamus and Dean for ice cream later on.  
  
Ten minutes and two sickening cart rides later, Harry's moneybag was jangling a merry tune as the coins in it bounced around happily. Ron's was also surprisingly heavy, and Harry assumed the twins must've put a fair chunk of their gold into the Weasley family account. The pair of them and Hermione went into Flourish and Blotts and bought their books, Ron looking rueful at the Potions volume, "Productive Potions for N.E.W.T students", as he purchased, with difficulty, "The Monster Book of Monsters Volume 2".  
  
Even Hermione was surprised at the amount of books they had. "I'm only taking six subjects, why do I have so many books?" This topic did not appeal to either Harry or Ron, who both grunted noncommittally before quickly moving on to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, to meet up with Seamus, Dean and Neville.  
  
Sitting round an elaborate white metal table, sunshine filtering through the misshapen rooftops, cheered Harry up. His private grief for Sirius and now Tonks had been keeping him thoroughly miserable, and his conversation at the end of last term with Dumbledore had also left a lasting effect on him. But now, happily chatting about being Quidditch captain, N.E.W.Ts and Neville's joy at never having to do Potions again, had the effect of making him feel a lot better. As if the world around him knew he was starting to feel better, it soon thrust him another piece of bad news.  
  
"Snape's not that bad," insisted Hermione, "you're just..." she trailed off, peering about a foot over Harry's shoulder. "Go away Malfoy."  
  
Harry turned around to see a blonde haired boy looking down his nose at him. He was wearing a smug expression, and Harry was in no doubt why.  
  
"Well then... if it isn't the Mudblood gang." Ron almost leapt at Malfoy, but Hermione had her hand on his shoulder. "Yes that's right, keep him there Granger, wouldn't want any of you blood-traitors to touch me." Harry jumped to his feet and roughly shoved Malfoy back.  
  
"Get lost Malfoy, before I beat you like Dumbledore beat your father." Malfoy's eyes widened and he looked like he was going to spit on Harry, before he quickly regained his smug expression.  
  
"Ah, but he's out now isn't he Potter. I'd watch your back if I were you. Even on the Quidditch field." Harry looked like he was about to laugh, as Malfoy reached into his bag and pulled out a broom.  
  
"This, as you will know Potter, is a Firebolt." Malfoy continued before Harry could say anything. "But, unlike yours Potter, which will break easily if hit by a bludger, mine has got protection, which doesn't effect the power!" Malfoy let out a laugh.  
  
"I could beat you on a broom any time, any place Malfoy." Malfoy smiled, and Harry knew he had been lured into a trap instantly.  
  
"Knew you would say that. Ok then, I will race you... above the Hogwarts Express! Do you agree Potter?" Harry was all for it, so were all Dean, Seamus and Neville, but Hermione wasn't. Ron was, amazingly, not siding with anyone. Harry raised his eyebrows at him and Ron spoke.  
  
"No tricks then Malfoy? You aren't going to try to hex Harry or there isn't going to be your father or Death Eaters waiting for Harry?" Ron was looking at Malfoy, but it was Hermione who answered.  
  
"There won't be any Death Eaters because there are charms to protect the train, and the people in it. Besides, some of the O... teachers will be on the train in a separate carriage. And as for Malfoy hexing you, what if neither of you could take your wands with you?" Malfoy's eyes narrowed again, but he nodded.  
  
"You man enough to take me on then Potter?" Harry nodded, and Malfoy withdrew, his smirk more pronounced then ever. Soon Harry, Ron and Hermione followed suit. 


	6. The Showdown

The Showdown  
  
Harry woke the following morning with that familiar nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach. He recognised it, as the one he felt before Quidditch games, and wasn't surprised, this was quite similar.  
  
Ron wasn't awake, his reasonably quiet snores drifting over the room from his corner. Harry left him asleep as he carefully packed his books and items into his suitcase, with his robes going in last; he would put on these on the train. He put Hedwig's cage by his suitcase and his Cauldron. Thinking again, he opened his suitcase and placed his Firebolt on top, so that would have easy access. Slipping his wand into his pocket, Harry carefully made his way out of the room, easing the slowly creaking door shut behind him.  
  
Tip-toeing past the girls room, which showed no signs of life, Harry quickly made his way into the kitchen, to find Mrs Weasley up and about, making breakfast.  
  
"Good morning dear, did you sleep well?" Harry nodded uneasily, not wanting to convey his tiredness but at the same time struggling not to yawn. She placed a bowl of porridge in front of Harry. She seemed to be trying to maintain a cheerful attitude and did not want to let herself get upset. Harry admired this, but thought she would probably be better to let it all out of her.  
  
"How's Mr Weasley?" he asked.  
  
"Overworked, as you'd expect." She said grimly. "His first day and this furore had to happen. But once he's settled in we can run a far more effective government, although many steps are too late to repair..." Harry knew she was referring to the Dementors who had revolted.  
  
"How many Death Eaters were inside Azkaban at the time?" Harry asked.  
  
"Twenty three. And some did some awful things. Terrible. You can't imagine." Harry thought he probably could, but didn't say so. Mrs Weasley looked at Harry's now empty bowl. "You better go and wake Ron, I'll wake the girls. Can't have you missing the train can we?"  
  
*  
  
One frantic hour later, everyone was up, dressed, packed and expecting to go. Mr Weasley was not available, so Remus accompanied them all to Kings Cross, through the barrier and onto the platform.  
  
Mrs Weasley gave everyone a hug, and Remus shook the boy's hands, while hugging each of the girls. Harry thought the group seemed a bit diminished, what with no Fred and George, and so the four of them got on and found a cabin for themselves towards the back of the train.  
  
"When do you reckon Malfoy will show up?" said Ginny, as soon as they sat down. The door slid open in answer, and in entered Malfoy, flanked, as usual, by his two cronies, Crabbe and Goyle.  
  
"Haven't run off then Potter?" Malfoy smirked, while his two goons chuckled mindlessly. "Good. I was wondering if the Mudblood had begged you to chicken out again. I'll come back here when we're in a better area of the countryside, so have your broom ready Potter!" Malfoy turned and stalked out, leaving the door open behind him. Hermione went to shut it.  
  
"You better beat him!" she yelled shrilly. "I don't think I could stand him if he won!"  
  
Harry was taken aback at this outburst. "Calm down Hermione, of course I'll beat him! Just leave it to me."  
  
*  
  
From then onwards the journey was filled with uncomfortable glances down the corridor, each noise Harry was sure would be Malfoy, but no. He and Ron played Exploding Snap as unimaginative fields became rolling green hills, which succumbed in turn to a ragged wilderness, filled with unkempt trees and disorderly bushes. Towards the end of the afternoon, a storm threatened as the winds around the train picked up, howling past the carriages like a madman.  
  
As Harry peered out the window, Malfoy swaggered in, broom in hand. They both handed their wands to Hermione. "Come on." He muttered. Harry opened the window, and climbed precariously onto the roof. Harry put a leg in front of a rail on the top of the train, to hold himself steady, as Malfoy climbed onto the roof. Malfoy yelled above the wind.  
  
"First to the other end eh?" Harry nodded, and mounted his broom. Malfoy did likewise, before lining up next to Harry. "3... 2... 1..." Malfoy zoomed off straight after 1, leaving Harry behind. Kicking off into the air, both Harry and Malfoy at first were lost behind the train.  
  
The wind buffeted Harry back and forwards, and he dived downwards. This not only gained him speed, but also entered him into the slipstream of the train. He tore underneath Malfoy, and soon found himself nestled right behind the train.  
  
"I've got to stay as close to the train as possible." Harry thought allowed. Now that he could travel faster then the train, Harry edged his way around the side of the train. Looking backwards, he couldn't see Malfoy, and assumed he was on the other side of the train. Harry turned forwards again, and hurtled along the side of the train.  
  
Over the roar of the wind, Harry could hear little, but edging along the train, he could hear cheering. Looking inside he saw an army of Gryffindors all cheering him on, and he flashed a grin at them as he zoomed past. Through the cabin, he caught a glimpse of Malfoy, who was not far behind. The train rounded a corner, with Harry stuck on the outside, allowing Malfoy, on the other side of the train, to draw level.  
  
They both leant lower to their Firebolts, each trying to gain a fraction of speed over the other. Harry seemed to have the edge, being slightly lighter, but he had not counted on the Slytherins.  
  
They had the windows open, and had all kinds of food, which they were going to throw at him. Harry dodged back and forth, up and down trying to avoid the food being thrown at him, all the time Malfoy was drawing ahead. After what seemed like an age, Harry made it past the Slytherin cabin. He glanced forward again, and quickly registered one fact: there was a tunnel.  
  
There was no room either side of the train, nor on top, and he and Malfoy were stuck on the outside of the train. Desperately, Harry put on a burst of speed as the tunnel charged like an insulted Hippogriff, before at the last second, Harry ducked inside between the carriages of the train.  
  
He was now halfway up the train, and Malfoy was one carriage in front, also waiting for the tunnel to end. The Hogwarts Express leapt into the daylight, and Harry urged his broom out from behind the carriage, and sped beside the train. The train beside him was a blur, and Harry could see Malfoy up ahead, on the same side of the train as Harry.  
  
Gaining all the time, Harry used Malfoy's minuscule amount of slipstream to optimum effect, before finally leaping out from directly behind Malfoy, moments before passing the front carriage. The speed and momentum carried Harry and Malfoy way beyond the train.  
  
Malfoy was enraged, and he tried to ram into Harry, who was flying close to the track, but Harry moved away, and Malfoy tore past, straight into the track. He fell from his broom, which became embedded deep in the track.  
  
Harry, who had gone straight past spun right around. The train was almost on Malfoy. He thought for a split second about leaving Malfoy there, before diving down. He grabbed Malfoy and wrenched him up before shooting up as fast as he could, before the train streaked below. Harry flew carefully down to the back of the train, where Malfoy grabbed hold of the rail on top of the train.  
  
His face was white, and he had none of his swagger as he, followed soon by Harry, re-entered the last carriage of the train. Malfoy looked at Harry for a second, opened his mouth but quickly shut it, before turning and walking straight down the corridor.  
  
Harry flung himself down in a chair; the compartment was empty, and Harry supposed the others had tried to see what happened in the race, and were probably now working their way back. Sure enough, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville and Luna all entered the compartment, strangely quietly.  
  
"We saw..." Ron started and trailed off. Harry looked up at him, and Ron avoided his gaze for a moment, before turning to face him again. "Why?"  
  
"No matter who it was, I couldn't leave them to die like that. Even Malfoy." He said. Harry turned away to end the conversation before more questions were asked.  
  
Hermione had nail marks all down her face, but she accepted this at once, and threw herself down like Harry, for the last few hours of the journey to school. 


	7. The Meeting and the Feast

Thanks for the review, but the unbreakable braking charm referred to in PoA is to do with deceleration (braking), not destruction of the broom (breaking) which I was referring to. Besides after that chapter it doesn't matter anyways...  
  
The Meeting and the Feast  
  
The rest of the journey passed slowly, alternating between periods of idleness, the girls and the boys alternating getting changed, and feeble attempts at conversation. The only activity being Ron and Neville's game of exploding snap. The afternoon was running swiftly in to early evening, but the sky was clearing up as the train rolled up alongside Hogsmeade platform. Harry's mood also lifted as the castle towered up on the hill beyond the lake.  
  
Stepping out of the carriage, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville and Ginny all joined the bustling crowd, Harry getting odd looks from all the Slytherins he passed. They climbed into the carriage, Harry and Neville looking closely at the beautiful Thestrals preparing to pull them out of the gate. Ginny, Ron and Hermione exchanged glances as Neville and Harry reached out to pat it, its gleaming black body shimmering in the dusk light. They both climbed into the carriage, which soon set off on its jolting way up towards the castle.  
  
The stone walls of the castle drew closer, and the carriage slowed outside the front gate, where already many black-robed students were milling around, heading up the steps, and on in towards the Great Hall. They stepped into the Great Hall to find Filch stalking around, randomly searching students for dungbombs.  
  
Skirting quickly around Filch, (Ginny was suddenly looking terrified for some reason), they entered the Great Hall. The halls were pristinely clean as usual, and Harry looked up to see a battered hat standing on a stool. This was the Hogwarts sorting hat, used to distribute new students into their houses.  
  
Harry looked up at the staff table. Professor Umbridge had left the school last year, so Harry was scanning for her replacement. No one could be worse then her. Harry saw who it was, and let out a laugh, before grabbing Hermione's arm and striding up to the staff table.  
  
"Mr Diggory!" said Harry happily.  
  
Amos Diggory turned to face the oncoming trio and laughed aloud. "You've been here about three minutes and already you've tracked me down eh?" He laughed. "So what do you think? Defence against the dark arts is very important..."  
  
Harry smiled, as Ron spoke. "You'll be a great teacher. Besides, after last year you could do nothing at all and be considered good." Hermione laughed at this, as did Mr Diggory.  
  
"You'd better get back to your tables, I can see the first years lined up outside." He said, and Harry, Ron and Hermione turned and walked back to their seats.  
  
Harry watched as the new students filed nervously passed. They seemed to get smaller every year. Harry had trouble believing that he and Ron were that small in their first year. They stumbled past, led by Professor McGonagall, who looked as strict as ever, and Harry wasn't surprised that these students were scared.  
  
He turned to face the front, as the hat opened its brim and started to sing.  
  
"Every single student, who has passed through this school,  
Has to come and sit below me, on a battered stool.  
Where I will look into their minds to see where they should be,  
For sorting was the very task that was chosen for me.  
There are just four places where I could think you belong,  
But forgive me if you disagree but I am never wrong.  
I could put you in Gryffindor, among those that are brave, Then there's the fountain of knowledge, that's what Ravenclaw's do crave.  
For those consigned to Slytherin, ambition is your skill,  
While those of humblest Hufflepuff, seek you those of goodwill.  
Yet as I perch upon your heads distributing asunder,  
The wisdom of this separation I begin to wonder.  
More then ever now I feel that I should not divide,  
Girls and boys and families, with friendship thrown aside.  
These times, alas, are looking bad and full of strife and woe,  
As suddenly those that were once friends turn to face a foe.  
So I say again I do now doubt the wisdom in my placing,  
That I may now be aiding the very troubles we are facing.  
Now I insist that we all gather together to unite.  
To combat this evil threat that attacks what is right.  
Treat not based on student's blood nor on the house they're in.  
Loyalty, love and kindliness are where friendships begin.  
Yet now I face you youngest men, of whom I will now sort,  
So step right up, and put me on, I'll decide where you're taught!"  
  
Harry and Hermione exchanged glances as they clapped the hats song. "Is that the same song as last year?" said Harry.  
  
"No," Hermione replied, "it kept talking about how we are already facing troubles and strife..." she trailed off as Professor McGonagall stood up.  
  
"Welcome first years. When I call out your name come and sit on this stool and place the hat on your head. When it calls out your house, go and sit on that house table. Ok... Albury, Natasha!"  
  
Harry watched as a fairly tall girl compared to the others strode up to the hat, but he felt his interest ebbing away. He was tired and was still thinking over the afternoon's events, and he chanced a glance behind him at the Slytherin table, where Malfoy was sat, looking fairly despondent.  
  
Harry was still not sure about how he felt about the whole thing, although he was sure it was the right thing to have done. Had he not saved Malfoy he would have been expelled from Hogwarts, and punished by the Ministry (how, he didn't know what with Azkaban being no longer a prison). Yet having saved Malfoy, had he just given an enemy another chance to attack him? Harry wasn't sure what to think. But by the time that the last person, ("Young, Edwin") had joined Hufflepuff, Harry was not so sure he'd done the right thing.  
  
Harry looked to his left as Dumbledore stood up. "Welcome, welcome to those that are new, and those who are returning." His eyes twinkled as they roved the hall, briefly connecting with Harry's own eyes, as Dumbledore carried on. "I would love to give out beginning of term notices, but I am hungry. Enjoy."  
  
He sat down as the students laughed, the first year's exchanging glances at this slightly eccentric introduction to their new headmaster. On Harry's right, Ron was paying no attention to the new Gryffindors, but was instead treating the food as if it were the last meal he were to eat, wolfing down pie and potato at an alarming rate. Hermione clicked her tongue, but also took up her knife and fork and started to eat, but a slightly more regular pace.  
  
Harry gingerly ate small amounts, increasingly aware of the glances being shot down the table at him, and the excited whispers of the Creevey's, telling all of the new Gryffindors of Harry's supposed greatness. Harry's stomach turned over, though not from hunger. The combination of the day's events, and the whispers about him down the table made him feel slightly ill, and he was relieved when Dumbledore stood up, as Hermione had looked like she was about to ask what was wrong. The food vanished from the table, and the headmaster cleared his throat.  
  
"Ahem. Welcome to another year at Hogwarts, and I see none of some of our students appetites have been lost over the summer holidays." Harry was sure that Dumbledore was looking at Ron, but too quickly, he carried on. "A few beginning of term notices. Firstly, let me introduce to you our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, and successor to Professor Umbridge, Professor Diggory."  
  
Harry clapped and cheered loudly, but he was far from the loudest. The Hufflepuff table were on their feet, cheering wildly. Indeed, Professor Sprout had to usher some back to their seats after they had looked like going to shake his hand. Mr, (Professor Harry chided himself), Diggory smiled and waved at the students jovially, before settling back in his seat to face Dumbledore again. Harry followed suit.  
  
"Now that I have introduced a the new teacher I have a few beginning of term notices. First of all, all students should remember not to enter the forbidden forest, or leave the grounds at any time, except those on authorised Hogsmeade weekends." He paused and Harry swore that Dumbledore had winked at him. Dumbledore continued.  
  
"Mr Filch would also like to remind students as to the list of disallowed magical items, which now include Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes of all varieties. Our new prefects and head boy and girl," (Hermione looked around to see who were the new heads), "will show you all back to your dormitory's. Thank you." And with that, he strode straight off to the side of the hall and exited.  
  
Ron and Hermione stood up, and Ron started yelling loudly. "Oi! Oi you little people!" ("Ron!" chided Hermione, though quite half-heartedly). The first years turned to face Ron and Hermione, who ushered them out of the hall. Harry stood up to follow, but as he left the hall, Professor Dumbledore beckoned him over to a different staircase.  
  
"Follow me, I have a few issues to discuss with you." He turned and swept up the staircase, and Harry followed him up, along the corridor and behind the gargoyle ("Ton Ton Toffee" said Dumbledore) up to Dumbledore's office. Harry thought this must have been about his exploits on the train, as he sat in the familiar armchair facing Dumbledore, who sat behind his desk, his silvery white hair hanging low by his sides. He looked tired, but not weary, and he gave off the immense power and feeling of safety that Harry felt with no one else. Dumbledore shifted slightly and began.  
  
"Harry, I am not here to discuss today's events. Suffice to say yes, I know what happened, and if it would put your mind at rest I think you did the right thing. You will not be punished for the event, but never let a potential Death Eater lure you like that again Harry, or the consequences could be far worse."  
  
Harry, who had sighed and relaxed about not being punished, straightened up at the mention of Death Eaters. He was now curious and was about to ask as to why he was here, if not to talk about Malfoy, before Dumbledore continued.  
  
"Now I expect you are confused as to why you are here. I will not delay. There are many Death Eaters around Harry, and what with the prophecy and the rise of Voldemort, I think that, unfortunately, it is time for me to start teaching you."  
  
"Teaching me what?" Harry asked, though he thought he might know the answer.  
  
"Avada Kedavra," said Dumbledore simply. They sat still for a long time, while Harry looked at his chair. Dumbledore seemed to have more to say. "I also think, though what with my lessons, your lessons with Professor Snape and your other work I wouldn't blame you for not agreeing, that you, Ron and Hermione, should learn to become Animagi with Professor McGonagall."  
  
Harry perked up, to become Animagi would be wonderful. "I'll talk to Ron and Hermione, I'm sure they'll want to do it. Did you say lessons with Snape? Am I carrying them on?"  
  
"Professor Snape, Harry, Professor Snape, and yes, I still think that learning to fight Legilimency would be a wise move." Harry wanted to fight it, but knew from Dumbledore's tone there was no point. He sighed bitterly.  
  
"When will my lessons be Professor?" he asked, slightly resentfully.  
  
"My lessons will be on Monday evenings, Professor Snape's on Tuesday. You must talk to Professor McGonagall about her lessons, though she has already agreed to teach you. One less load on you however, is the D.A. What now with a... slightly less rigid Defence teacher, I'm sure that most people will learn fantastic protection spells. Also, you will note from your timetable tomorrow, there are now more Defence lessons, to cope with the war. Now, I'm afraid Harry, I must ask you to go back to your dormitory, I have some rather important tasks I must prepare." And with that, Harry left the office, before hurrying to tell Ron and Hermione about the meeting. 


	8. Old and New

Old and New  
  
"So we're going to become Animagi? Cool!" said Ron enthusiastically half an hour later, after Harry had brought Hermione and Ron up to speed on the talk with Dumbledore.  
  
"I was going to suggest this year that we learnt anyway," said Hermione matter-of-factly, "and I agree that we should talk to Professor McGonagall. With a teacher on our side, then we should learn a lot faster then," (she smiled slightly), "the original Marauders."  
  
Harry nodded with a small smile. "Does this make us the next generation of Marauders?" Ron laughed, and Hermione grinned as if she had been complimented. Harry took this as a yes.  
  
"I'm tired, I think I'll go upstairs." Harry turned from the other two who were muttering something about going up also, as Harry ascended the stairs wearily, up to the sixth year boys dormitory.  
  
There was no one else in the dormitory as he entered, although Harry could see Dean's posters tacked up already, and so he knew that the others had at least been up here. He shut the room from view as he drew his own hangings closed around the bed, and was soon fast asleep.  
  
*  
  
The next morning Harry woke before the other boys, so he decided he would go early and send an owl to Fred and George, to see how they were and how business was. As he walked through the quiet castle, the early September sun still low in a light blue sky, he thought about how different it had been since he had last been here. He didn't want to think about Sirius now, but he couldn't stop himself, and was quite upset as he climbed the final steps to the owlery, although he was definitely better then he had been for the few days after Sirius' death.  
  
The Owlery was empty, and Harry quietly marvelled at how the owls had already caused such a bad mess, not to mention smell. There were fewer owls then usual, and Harry supposed that some were still returning from their night hunts. Calling Hedwig down, he quickly wrote a short message to the twins.  
  
"Dear Fred and George,  
  
Hello! How are you doing? How is my business investment doing? How is your dad settling in to his job? I hope you are all ok.  
  
It is the morning after the sorting, and I am up early, and needed a walk. We're getting our timetables later this morning, with only five subjects, could provide some interesting double lessons!  
  
Hope you are well,  
  
Harry."  
  
He watched Hedwig fly off over the forest, and was turning to leave when the Owlery door opened, and in stepped Cho Chang.  
  
She looked slightly diminished as to when he had last seen her, and Harry was unsure as to how awkward it would be. They looked at each other for a few seconds, and then Cho came over and hugged Harry.  
  
"How are you Harry?" she said nervously, and Harry, who had been unsure as of what to do and was vaguely wondering what to do with arms, suddenly snapped back into gear, and he hugged her back before replying.  
  
"I've been ok, how about you?" he said quietly.  
  
"Well, I've been alright." She paused, and again they looked at each other for a long moment, Harry wrenching his eyes away to look out of the window. "I err... split up with Michael..." She looked up at Harry.  
  
"Oh." Harry felt stupid for not being able to say more, but he didn't know what he felt about Cho anymore at all. He was over her, he thought, and that he was still just a bit upset from thinking about Sirius.  
  
"Is that... all you think about it?" Cho asked tentatively. Her tone was not accusing or shrill, but cautious and disappointed. "So you don't think we..." she trailed off, blushing furiously, but both knew what she was trying to say.  
  
"I don't know," said Harry simply. "I really don't. I'm sorry. I'll err... think about it..." he said inconclusively. "I'll see you soon." And with a small, forced smile, he strode quickly out of the Owlery.  
  
Deciding it would be quicker to go straight to breakfast and then go and collect his school stuff, Harry headed left down the stairs, and into the great hall. It was almost empty, except for a familiar face sat on the Slytherin table by himself eating some toast, though not really concentrating.  
  
Harry wasn't quite sure whether to speak to Malfoy or not, who looked up, looked for a moment as if he were about to say something, but then changed his mind and forced some more toast into his mouth.  
  
"Thanks would do," muttered Harry quietly. Malfoy heard. He looked straight up at Harry, his eyes narrow, and his face chalk white. He said something indistinguishable into the table, before getting up and leaving. Harry thought he knew what Malfoy had said and, contentedly, he made his way up to a small pile of timetables at the far end of the table. Rifling through the sixth year names, he picked out his own and sat down, helped himself to some bacon and eggs, before reading his timetable. DATDA, Potions, Transfiguration, Herbology, Charms  
  
Monday: Am; Defence against the dark arts, Charms Pm; Transfiguration, Herbology.  
  
Tuesday; Am; Double Potions Pm; Herbology, Potions  
  
Wednesday; Am; Potions, Transfiguration Pm; Herbology, Defence against the Dark arts.  
  
Thursday; Am; Transfiguration, Charms Pm; Double Defence against the Dark arts.  
  
Friday Am; Charms, Herbology Pm; Charms, Transfiguration.  
  
Harry looked at the calendar on the wall. Today was Thursday. He was thankful that it wasn't Tuesday, he had almost been sick upon seeing that day, three potions lessons? Swallowing the rest of his bacon, he grabbed Ron and Hermione's timetables, and headed up to the Gryffindor tower to show them.  
  
*  
  
It transpired that the three of them all had Transfiguration together, and they made their way downstairs, discussing and comparing their timetables. Although Ron and Harry did some of the same subjects, Ron shared none of his classes with Harry or Hermione, (apart from Transfiguration and Charms), who were together for all Harry's subjects, although Hermione had some evening lessons so as to include Arithmancy.  
  
They walked into class together, and found some seats at the back, as Professor McGonagall gave the usual talk about N.E.W.Ts, and what would be expected of them throughout the year ahead, and the final exam year. Harry supposed that he would be in for a lot of talks like this, but he listened with interest to the descriptions of transfiguring large animals into other large animals, transfiguring other humans into objects, and into making objects move and obey instructions.  
  
At the end of the lesson, (or lecture as Ron called it), the three of them headed up to the front of the class to talk to Professor McGonagall about becoming Animagi. She answered their question before they asked.  
  
"Yes, I have spoken to Professor Dumbledore, and he told me what he had suggested." She looked at the three of them before continuing. "I will teach you the spell and process of becoming an Animagi. However I must wait for a certain potion first, and so I will start teaching you next month."  
  
All three of them left the room with excited looks on their faces, none more so than Hermione.  
  
"You do know what the potion is don't you?" she said excitedly. Harry and Ron both shook their heads bemusedly, and so she continued, laughing now. "Its called the Aniservian charm, and it means that Professor McGonagall will be able to see which animals we will transfigure into!"  
  
"You mean... we don't get to choose?" said Harry slowly.  
  
"No!" chortled Hermione, but she soon stopped her giggling. "Did you really think we got to choose?" Harry hung his head, how was he supposed to know that? He felt stupid all the same, and carried on without talking for a while. Hermione took charge of cheering him up.  
  
"I wouldn't worry though, the animal you become shows your true soul, and so you will be most contented with that animal." This did cheer Harry up, and he remained in a fairly good mood throughout charms where, proving Harry right, the class received a talk about N.E.W.Ts, and Professor Flitwick told them the sorts of charms they would be learning. Harry thought that the Videlius charm, a charm to see through walls or other inanimate objects without being seen, sounded very useful, although very complicated, as it involved stretching your mind through that structure. The structure could not be moving at all however. However, by the end of the lesson, Harry had practically forgotten the name of the charm, and was almost falling asleep. Indeed, Hermione seemed the only one to still be drinking in the Professors words in absolute fascination, her face alight with a fierce desire for more knowledge, raptly to attention as if nothing else mattered.  
  
She was buzzing as they left the lesson and spouting already what she knew about some of the charms, (some of which, like the Protean charm, she could already do), and which ones she most wanted to learn. Ron and Harry spent most of their lunchtime finding innovative ways of using food to put Hermione off her talking, and soon found the most effective was to flick bits of food into her mouth as she was talking rapidly. One time however, she started choking, and only after Harry had had to hit her quite hard on the back to get it out did she berate Ron for his foolishness, not to mention the fact that he hadn't stopped laughing to help Harry. Harry laughed at this, and soon all three were laughing childishly. Harry consulted his timetable.  
  
"Double defence this afternoon Hermione." He was happy about this, he had always done quite well at defence, and also he wanted to see Mr Diggory, and how good he was at teaching. Ron however, stalked off with Dean to Care of Magical Creatures, as that class had Defence at a different time to Harry's class.  
  
Harry and Hermione left the hall in the opposite direction heading, not down the front steps to Hagrid's hut, but to their defence classroom. They entered the room to find that most of their class were those who had made it into potions with them, which were mainly Ravenclaws. Harry however, spotted Ernie Macmillan of Hufflepuff, and he took a seat alongside him, with Hermione on his other side. Ernie greeted him, but Harry had no time to respond, as Professor Diggory strode into the room.  
  
"Good afternoon class!" he said jovially. "May I first take this opportunity to say how honoured I am to take this job, especially in such dark times as these. We will be working on deflection and protection spells, as well as some other useful spells for in the field." He paused for a moment. "As you know, I am Professor Diggory, and with a class as old as this one I'm sure you are aware as to how personal this is for me... so I won't spare you with the story I'm sure you have all heard."  
  
Harry sat back, shocked. He had quite easily understood how personal it must have been for Mr Diggory, but he hadn't expected to his new teacher to be so forthcoming about it. Hermione also seemed a little shocked, and she frowned at Harry who shrugged back.  
  
After that, the lesson went well. Professor Diggory gave a much shorter talk about N.E.W.Ts then the other teachers had so far, and Harry supposed this was because this subject was more importantly about being able to defend yourself in the current crisis. Quite soon, Professor Diggory paired off the class for a quick practise of stunning, disarming and shielding spells. The D.A were all excellent, and in the last quarter of an hour, Professor Diggory set up a duelling tournament, with the first to be stunned losing, although other spells were allowed. Harry won through to the final, where he faced Hermione. The rest of the class were watching in anticipation at the brightest girl in the year taking on the boy who lived.  
  
Harry won in the end. After ducking Hermione's first disarming attempt and shielding her second, he used the Reductor curse to destroy the chair behind Hermione This distracted her, and he quickly stunned her backwards into the pile of cushions set up for the tournament, which was now covered in the remnants of the chair. Harry quickly went over to revive her, while the class applauded. Hermione came around quickly, feeling fine but more than a little disgruntled.  
  
As they walked into the entrance hall Hermione hugged Harry, who had been convinced that Hermione was in a really bad mood with him. Ron walked in at that moment and quickly made his way up the stairs before Harry or Hermione, (who had let each other go), could say anything. Harry and Hermione exchanged a confused glance before rapidly following up the stairs. 


	9. Quidditch Tryouts

Hi, sorry this took so long, it's quite a long chapter. I have to say I'm not very happy with it – have writer's block! Not my best chapter, hopefully the next will be a bit better!  
  
Quidditch Tryouts  
  
Harry and Hermione could get nothing out of Ron in the common room that evening, but by the next morning he was acting normally, even suggesting to Harry that he start to prepare the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Harry, distracted totally suddenly felt a familiar glow of pride in his stomach, a rarity, as he walked with them down to breakfast. Gryffindor Quidditch captain. Even thinking it made him feel better, but it made him wonder something.  
  
"Who are the other captains?" he asked Ron. However, it was not Ron, (who was busy eating his toast), but Hermione who answered.  
  
"Ernie Macmillan is for Hufflepuff, I'm surprised he didn't tell you, Ravenclaw's is a fifth year called Henry Peters, he's a keeper, and Malfoy is for Slytherin." She said this last bit with disgust, but Harry didn't notice.  
  
"Why are you suddenly so interested in Quidditch?" asked Harry, surprised.  
  
"Oh I'm not," she said unconvincingly, "I just heard it from Ernie in the library." She paused for a moment, and seemed to be casting around for a subject. "I still don't know who is head girl yet, head boy is a shy Hufflepuff called Arnold Prass, but whoever the head girl is she's keeping it quiet. She wasn't in the meeting on the train."  
  
Harry gulped, considered for a moment and decided on the truth. "It's Cho."  
  
Both Ron and Hermione looked up. "How do you know?" asked Ron suspiciously. Harry was forced to explain all about his trip to the Owlery and meeting Cho there, and about their talk. Truthfully he had thought about it a lot, and although still quite unsure, he didn't think he felt the same about Cho as he had. He liked her a lot, but there was too much of a history between them now to make it too awkward to have a relationship of that sort. And more to the point, Harry thought he would have messed it up anyway.  
  
Hermione seemed to sense that Harry needed a bit of support, and she spoke up again. "You two argued too much anyway." Harry was a bit surprised at Hermione's comment, but kept it to himself. He decided he would put a poster up later for Quidditch tryouts, but then Hermione got up announcing they had charms in five minutes, and Harry reluctantly followed.  
  
*  
  
"QUIDDITCH TRYOUTS:  
  
WOULD ALL GRYFFINDORS INTERESTED IN PLAYING ON THE QUIDDITCH TEAM THIS YEAR PLEASE COME DOWN TO THE QUIDDITCH PITCH AT 8 O'CLOCK ON THE FIRST OF OCTOBER (NEXT FRIDAY). THANK YOU."  
  
Harry stood back to let some other children forward, as he finished pinning up the note. It was lunchtime, and Harry had a little while before his second charms class of that day would continue, (they were working on protean charms, one which Hermione had already mastered and used the previous year by herself), to make a small poster about Quidditch Tryouts. Harry was very much looking forward to being back on the Quidditch pitch, but was not sure how good he would be as a captain.  
  
*  
  
September rolled on, with triple potions being about as bad as Harry thought it could be. The first double lesson was spent analysing the entire N.E.W.T course they would be taking, and the afternoon lesson working on a small potion to make sure everyone still understood all the terms used in making potions. This surprised Harry, until he realised they were making a type of poison, which in an odd way made Harry relax. A catch up lesson would have been too out-of-character for Snape.  
  
October the first was a bright day, probably the last bright day before the autumn falls, and Harry was quite worried about the Quidditch trials to take place. He was so worried, that he accidentally charmed Professor Flitwick to make people constantly want to avoid him and get worried when he came near.  
  
By the end of the afternoon he was quite nervous, in fact he felt quite ill at the thought of the responsibility he was now shouldering. He walked down to the pitch and changed unsteadily into his Quidditch robes. He walked onto the pitch to see who had turned up and he was shocked to see a small crowd their, some obviously supporters, others obviously not. With Ron and Ginny the other two definite members of the team at his side, he surveyed the new players. His jaw dropped, for the second time in his life considering who it was.  
  
It was Hermione. She was blushing furiously and trying to hide out, but they soon called her out of the group to speak to her.  
  
"So this explains the sudden interest in Quidditch!" said Harry, smiling broadly. "What position are you applying for?"  
  
"Don't laugh..." she said timidly, "but I'm applying to be a beater."  
  
"Why would we laugh?" said Ron, confused. Hermione laughed, her nerves obviously lessening slightly, and turned to Harry.  
  
"When do we start?" she asked. To answer her question, Harry called for quiet so he could speak to the hopefuls. He didn't like talking to big groups, and he was sure they weren't going to really listen to a word he said.  
  
"Ok... errr, thank you all for coming." He said quickly. They were all silent, and he carried on nervously. "First, I will look for new chasers, would those applying to be chasers please come forward."  
  
A small group of people moved forwards, including Colin Creevey, Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown. Ginny also stepped around Harry to join the group, as it was only fair that she try out rather than buy straight onto the team, although from Harry's view she was a certain. Harry ushered the others, who had to be beaters, to sit on a row of benches by the side of the stadium.  
  
"Ok. What we are going to do, is Ron will go in goal, and I will play as the third chaser. I've also borrowed Ernie Macmillan from Hufflepuff to act as a beater to make it more real." Harry stuck up a hand and waved over Ernie, who was clad smartly in his blue Ravenclaw Quidditch robes. "We'll try you two at a time then. You two can go first." He indicated Ginny and a smaller, fourth year boy. They both clambered onto their brooms and took off.  
  
And so it went. Harry spent the best part of an hour flying backwards and forwards, gathering dropped Quaffles, and assessing the players that came through. Ginny, Lavender, Parvati, Colin and a third year called Charlie Gulmore made it to the second round, where Harry assessed each individually, and then in different combinations. He, Ron and Ernie, all quite tired, sat away from the group. Between them, they decided that Ginny, Lavender and Colin were the best three.  
  
Harry walked over and informed the lucky three, who all tried to celebrate modestly and look suitably surprised, Lavender blushing appropriately and insisting to Parvati that she was amazed Parvati didn't get in to the team. Parvati however, seemed to be concentrating on acting like she didn't really mind.  
  
Harry stood back and closed his eyes. He was tired and had a headache, and amongst all the Quidditch, he was still thinking about Cho. He knew now he didn't feel that way about her, but how to tell her was eluding him. Mentally noting to decide later, he turned to the group of beaters.  
  
"Ok. Using the chasers I have just selected, they will try to keep possession of the Quaffle and score as many goals as possible past Ron, but you have to put them off. Hermione and...." He frowned at another girl he didn't recognise.  
  
"Leanne Filroy." She prompted with a shy smile. Harry nodded and continued.  
  
"Hermione and Leanne, you will go first." The two of them clambered on to brooms, (Hermione a Comet Two Sixty), and ascended into the air with Harry, who handed them their bats, before diving to the ground again. He gave them a count of three and released the bludgers.  
  
Harry thought Hermione was pretty good. She certainly had power, although she truly did lack precision, and often her wayward aim caused her to make bad contact with the bludger, which often hurt her more then anyone else. However, one bludger hit Colin so hard he almost had to go up to the hospital wing, much to Hermione dismay, though Harry assured her it would not count against her too much.  
  
Leanne on the other hand, was superb. Even Ron commented on it afterwards, and Harry knew straight away that she would be in the team, although he tried to force himself to be impartial. Her aim was phenomenal, and she was very aware of who had the Quaffle, and could often interpret well whom the next pass might be to. On more than one occasion she actually hit the Quaffle in mid flight, something almost unheard of.  
  
There were six people left to trial, and the first four passed off without much incident, or without much sign of flair or particular skill, (Harry suspected Seamus had volunteered as a dare by the way he kept hitting the bludger straight at Ron), until finally only two were left. One was a third year who looked like he might attack you if you commented on how small he was, ("He really was a midget," said Ron later on), and the other was Jack Sloper.  
  
Jack had been in the Quidditch side last season and had not been very good, but Harry thought that, considering all the others, he would be the only other person to challenge Hermione for the second spot in the team. Judging by his performance, Harry knew Jack had been practising over the summer and he knew equally, with a tinge of disappointment, that Jack was better than Hermione. By the look on Ron's face Harry knew Ron agreed, though he would never admit it. Harry and Ron walked over to the group.  
  
"Congratulations to Leanne Filroy and Jack Sloper, you're in the team. Sorry to all other participants." Harry addressed them as a group, but spoke almost to the floor rather than his feet, and retreated to the changing rooms as soon as he was done. He sat there for a long time, worrying about how Hermione might react. After getting changed, he trudged upstairs and found that Hermione's reaction was possibly as bad as it could have been.  
  
She was ignoring him. Sat in a corner, a book in her hand and her face red, she stubbornly refused to acknowledge Harry, even after several apologies. Harry sat down next to her and tried to do his Potions homework, but he couldn't concentrate. Deciding that he would do it tomorrow morning, he ascended the stairs, thoroughly worried and miserable, and clambered into bed, where he didn't fall asleep until much later.  
  
*  
  
Harry awoke the next morning to find Ron standing over him, almost shouting.  
  
"Harry! Wake up! Potions is in twenty minutes!" Harry blinked, dazed for a moment, but then the severity grabbed him and he sat up sharply. Pulling his robes on, he grabbed his books and quills, before following Ron quickly down to the Great Hall.  
  
"I'll do the homework as we eat," said Harry hurriedly, as they walked down the final staircase and into the entrance hall. But Harry stopped; he had seen Cho. "I'll catch you up." He said quietly to Ron, who went into the hall to start the essay.  
  
Harry walked over to Cho, who blushed a little.  
  
"Hi." She said quietly.  
  
"Hey." Harry replied shortly. Unsure of where to start, there was an awkward silence for a moment, which Harry broke. "I was thinking about, err... what we were talking about the other day..." he tailed off, he didn't want to hurt her feelings, but he knew stringing it out any longer would make it worse. "I think you're a err, really great person, and anyone would be err lucky to be with you... but I, err, don't think we should erm..." He trailed off again, looking at her apologetically. She smiled at him.  
  
"Its ok. I didn't think you would want to anyway." Harry looked at her, and sensed this was a lie, but didn't push it. "I'll see you around Harry." And before Harry could say anything, she was gone, leaving Harry standing there. For a moment he wondered if he had done the right thing, but quickly shook himself – he had done the right thing, he knew it.  
  
He turned and strode quickly into the hall, where Ron was sat next to Hermione. She was livid at the pair of them for not doing their homework the night before, but she did not chide Harry, just Ron.  
  
"Hermione, please forgive me!" he said desperately. "I'm sorry about not choosing you as beater its just that you... I mean Jack... I mean..." Harry realised he was probably just making it worse for himself. So he turned away from her, took a bite of toast, and started to take out his materials.  
  
"Too late now mate," said Ron, who was now rolling up his half empty parchment, "we'll be late if we don't go now."  
  
Harry sighed, resigning himself to a likely detention, and headed for the dungeons.  
  
Arriving at Snape's lesson knowing you hadn't done the homework was one of the worst feelings that Hogwarts could provide. Harry walked in with his shoulders slumped as Snape summoned the parchments to him across the room. Counting them up, Snape frowned, but then smiled evilly and looked up.  
  
"Which pair of you did not finish the homework?" Harry felt his stomach unclench slightly, he wasn't alone at least. Gingerly raising his hand in the air, he looked around the room, but to his surprise, no one else had raised their hand.  
  
"Ah, Mr Potter, how disappointingly predictable. As you were honest at least, you will only get the one detention. Now who else did not do it..." he scanned the list of names on the register, before scanning the home works. He looked up, and looked around the room, his eyes alighting on the Slytherin table.  
  
"Crabbe, where is Malfoy?" he asked quietly.  
  
"He's ill today Professor. Up in the hospital wing." Crabbe replied, while Goyle nodded solemnly by his side.  
  
Harry frowned, he thought they seemed serious. But before he had the luxury of wondering what was wrong with Malfoy, Snape had accepted the excuse, and had started the lesson.  
  
Ron spent much of the lesson gleefully discussing Malfoy's possible ailments, while Harry was trying to get Hermione to forgive him. He was quite angry now.  
  
"You've got me a detention, will you forgive me now?" he said through gritted teeth.  
  
"Oh, so it's my fault now is it?" Hermione retorted angrily. "Its all my fault that you didn't do your homework, oh I see!" and with that she didn't say another word to Harry all lesson, and Harry left quickly at the end of the lesson.  
  
He walked quickly out of the dungeons and out of the door into the grounds. He spied Hagrid's hut, and he ran down the sweeping immaculate lawns to the small stone building like a border post on the edge of the wild that was the forbidden forest. Ignoring the gloomy shadows of the forest, Harry knocked on Hagrid's door, and heard the usual amount of barking and "Quiet Fang!" cries from inside the hut. The door opened and Hagrid's beaming face greeted him.  
  
"'Ello 'Arry!" he said jovially. "Bout time you came down ter see me! How've yer been?"  
  
Harry considered saying "fine", but soon found himself spilling everything to Hagrid, about how Hermione was upset with him, about what had happened with Cho, about how he didn't think he could stand the responsibility of being the only one who could stand up to Voldemort, and about how all his work was taking its toll.  
  
Hagrid sat quiet for a second, and started to respond, but a glance at the clock told him he had a lesson in five minutes, and Harry got up to leave. Hagrid stopped him though.  
  
"If ever yer want to talk to me proper, just send an owl in advance and I'll come an' talk to yer, alright?" Harry nodded, before turning and stepping back out onto the stretching lawns. He started to run back, as he realised he was late for transfiguration. It was going to be a long day. 


	10. New Marauders

Ahem, here's the amended version... sorry this one was so full of errors! (Also I have realised another major error further back in the story, concerning how Ron came to be in Potions when I explicitly said he failed to make Potions. Too late really, I will probably change that when the story is fully complete.)  
  
New Marauders  
  
That day, and indeed the rest of the week, proved to be hard work, although Snape's detention was not for two weeks as he was "busy", something which Ron had enjoyed speculating on. Currently however, he was moaning.  
  
"Surely there isn't going to be this much work over the next two years!" groaned Ron exasperatedly the next Friday lunchtime, the day of Harry's detention. "I've got an essay for each subject!" Harry, who was hunched over rolls of parchment struggling to keep up with the alarming work rate, looked up as Hermione replied.  
  
"Oh it's the same for everyone Ron," she snapped, "and everyone wants you to stop whinging!" She had started talking to Harry again, and was almost normal with him since the Quidditch tryouts, but was still talking far more to Ron, and Harry could often see them having their own private conversations, which they quickly abandoned when ever he drew close. Harry didn't know if he was just being paranoid, but he was sure that he heard his name mentioned more than once.  
  
Ron quietened down after Hermione's verbal assault. It was lunchtime and they were in the library, a regular haunt of Hermione's. The library was a large, uninteresting room with few features that drew the eye. The only place of reasonable interest was the forbidden section, a place of books only available in exchange for a note from a specific teacher. The librarian, Madame Pince, circled the library like a hawk, swooping on her unsuspecting prey for the merest of crimes, such as spilling a drop of ink on one of the library desks.  
  
Harry finished his Potions essay as quickly as possible, the thought of the detention he had later that evening was dampening his day, but soon he was to get some news that would cheer him up.  
  
A thin boy Harry recognised as Henry Peters, the Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain walked up to their table, an excited look on his face. He extended a hand as he spoke, which Harry shook.  
  
"Hi Harry, I'm Henry Peters." Harry nodded his understanding, concealing his amusement at the slightly eager boy in front of him. He was like a cross between Colin Creevey and Ernie Macmillan. "I'm Ravenclaw Quidditch captain. Professor McGonagall sent me to tell you, its Ravenclaw vs Gryffindor on the 30th October, one week from today."  
  
"Oh Great!" said Harry, meaning it. "I look forward to it." The boy left, and Harry looked across the table, grinning at Ron, who grinned back.  
  
They both stopped quickly however at the look on Hermione's face. She looked as though she was desperately trying not to look angry, or sad, or rejected, but she couldn't pull it off. A small tear in her eye, she grabbed her books and ran out of the door, tears spilling down her face.  
  
Harry and Ron sat totally in shock for a second, the speed of the previous event surprising them.  
  
"I'll go and check on her." Harry said as he rose, but Ron put out an arm.  
  
"No, I'll do it," he said, "she may still be angry at you personally for not picking her."  
  
Harry watched Ron go. He would have been surprised at Ron's emotional tact, had he not been in shock. Hermione seemed to be getting more detached from Harry by the day, what with Quidditch tryouts having put a deep rift in their relationship. With a wistful glance at where Ron and Hermione had been minutes before, Harry gathered his books to head for Charms.  
  
Upon arriving in Charms, Harry took his usual seat and awaited the arrival of Ron and Hermione. They came in together, Hermione avoiding Harry's gaze and blushing.  
  
"I'm s-s-sorry," she stammered out. "I've been... I've been..."  
  
Harry interrupted softly. "You don't have to apologise! I don't blame you for being upset with me, and I hated making that decision..." Harry looked past Hermione, as behind her Ron was gesticulating at Harry to stop talking. Harry quickly gave Hermione a reassuring smile and started to take notes on a complicated charm, the Protean charm. Hermione had used this charm the previous year, much to the awe of some of the members of the DA. Hermione, who Harry assumed would be relaxing in this particular charms lesson, was sitting up and listening with rapt attention to Professor Flitwick's squeaky voice. Inwardly marvelling at Hermione, Harry glanced over at Ron, who was also writing.  
  
But on second glance, Harry noticed that Ron was not making notes on the Protean charm. Harry could not read what it was, but Ron was writing on a small piece of parchment. Before Harry could read it, he saw Ron slip it into Hermione's bag. Harry frowned, but said nothing about it.  
  
Waiting until later in the lesson, Harry tried to find an opportunity to read the parchment and was rewarded when Hermione had gone to the toilet and Ron had gone to ask Professor Flitwick about the charm (having missed the notes). He knew it was deceitful, but Harry's curiosity got the better of him, and he delved quickly into Hermione's bag and extracted the note.  
  
"Outside while Harry's in detention, if it's a clear night. If not then in the room of requirement at the same time. Love Ron."  
  
Harry's eyes widened. He quickly replaced the parchment in Hermione's bag before trying to consider what. He knew very well what he thought it meant, but was it possible? Were Ron and Hermione now more than just friends? As Ron sat down next to him, Harry plotted what he would do to find out what was going on.  
  
*  
  
Harry arrived at his detention with Snape with his bag on his back and a plan in his head. Inside it were several important items to his night's escapades: his invisibility cloak and his marauders map.  
  
He sat down and started depickling the rat brains that Snape had set in front of him on the desk. It was an onerous task, but the monotony gave Harry chance to think more on his plans. Were Ron and Hermione seeing each other? And what would he think if they were? Harry didn't know, but he knew he had never thought about Hermione that way, so he wouldn't feel jealous of Ron.  
  
After just 20 minutes, Harry glanced up at Snape. He was writing a letter, and the very end of his parchment was bent around over the edge of the table, so that if Harry twisted his head around a bit, he could just about make out some of the writing. He read two initials at the top, and felt his stomach go icy cold. "L.V." Harry knew exactly what name sprang to mind at that, but before he had a chance to read on Snape looked up, and saw what Harry was gaping at.  
  
"Potter!" he said, furiously glaring at Harry. "This letter is not for you! Get out!"  
  
Harry didn't need telling twice. He crammed his wand in his pocket, scooped up his bag and sped out of the dungeon.  
  
Harry slowed to a halt one corridor from the Entrance Hall, where he pulled out his invisibility cloak and the Marauders Map. Checking it quickly, he established that Ron was about to walk through the Entrance Hall. Jamming the Invisibility cloak over his head, he tiptoed down the corridor to the Entrance Hall. Harry watched as Ron walked quickly passed, his eyes shifting quickly from left to right, as if knowing that someone was watching. Harry watched him go down the hall and out of the front steps, before quickly following.  
  
Harry stepped out into the warm mid autumn air, and followed Ron quickly, who was now walking, not towards the edge of the Forest that Harry had suspected, but around towards the Herbology greenhouses. Harry started as they rounded a corner as he spotted Hermione.  
  
Harry watched as though from afar as Hermione ran to Ron, and threw her arms about him, as though she hadn't seen him in months. Then, (Harry had to cover his mouth to stop sounds of surprise emitting from it), Ron and Hermione kissed. Harry had been expecting this, but he found it to be a nasty shock anyway, and the fact that Harry hated what he was watching made him feel another emotion: guilt. Was he going to stop his friends new found happiness, just because he was jealous? Harry had expected not to be jealous, but upon seeing them he was, instantly jealous. He looked at them as Hermione drew back, looking upset.  
  
"What's wrong?" Ron asked cautiously.  
  
"It's nothing." she said, obviously lying, but at the look on Ron's face, she admitted what was wrong. "It's Harry," she sighed, and Harry jumped at the sound of his name. "What will he think Ron? Won't he feel lonely?" Ron shook his head at this.  
  
"Harry won't mind, he'll be good about it." Said Ron, calmly trying to reassure Hermione. "Lets go and tell him now shall we?"  
  
"No!" said Hermione quickly. "I mean... let's just wait and see, and find out what he would think about it before assuming he'll be all ok about it." Ron looked rather hurt, but nodded.  
  
"Shall we go back then?" he asked. "Harry should be done soon."  
  
Hermione nodded and, arm in arm, they walked slowly up the steps, leaving Harry very confused about his feelings, and he didn't return to the common room until half an hour later. 


	11. Confessions and Conspiracies

Confessions and Conspiracies  
  
Harry awoke the next morning, having not told Ron and Hermione what had happened last night. He had decided he would let them tell him when they wanted, and he would assure them he was ok with it when they decided to bring it up. He was trying to be as friendly with them as possible.  
  
October headed towards its dramatic close with the fiery build up to the first match of the Quidditch season, and Harry's first as captain. Tensions were high as usual, and the Gryffindor team found themselves under a barrage of attacks from the Slytherins. But the morning preceding the match, Harry was amazed to here Cho Chang talking about him behind his back. He was walking to breakfast on the morning of the match with Ron and Hermione (who seemed to have become better about not being in the team after seeing the jeers and taunts again), when Cho was walking in the other direction, with her friend Marietta.  
  
Upon catching sight of Harry, whom she had been distinctly cold with ever since he had turned her down, she raised her voice slightly.  
  
"Yeah he was a rubbish kisser, totally awful, I don't know what I saw in him..." she said tartly, but before Harry could say anything she was gone, her and her friend giggling slightly.  
  
"H-Harry?" said Hermione gently.  
  
Harry didn't say anything. He was totally in shock of this, he had received stupid comments before, but from Cho? He turned and strode into the hall, before so savagely cutting up his bacon bits went flying everywhere. Hermione quickly grabbed hold of his arm.  
  
"Calm down Harry!" she said urgently. "Save it for the Quidditch Pitch!" Harry took a breath. She was right. Nodding at her and mumbling an apology, he finished his breakfast, (slightly less erratically,) before he and Ron headed to the changing rooms.  
  
Harry had been privately dreading the pre-game speech, but after giving commands in the D.A, Harry found giving strategy talks surprisingly easy.  
  
"Ok," he said seriously, "we know that we can beat Ravenclaw, and we know what we're going to do. Just keep going through the moves like in practise and we'll win this easily." They nodded back at him, Ron smiling encouragingly, and Harry picked up his broom and led the team out of the tunnel.  
  
The Quidditch Stadium was packed with supporters, and as the team emerged a roar went up from the Gryffindors. Madame Hooch beckoned him over.  
  
"Captains, shake hands!" she barked loudly. Harry shook hands with Henry who was, Harry was happy to see, looking very nervous. "On my whistle!" Madame Hooch said loudly, and the teams mounted their brooms. "3... 2... 1..." She blew her whistle hard and Harry rocketed upwards on his Firebolt, as below him the game began. As usual Lee Jordan was commentating.  
  
"And Ginny Weasley seizes the Quaffle first, she passes over to Colin Creevey, who reverse passes to Ginny again. But no, it's intercepted by Ravenclaw's Charlotte Jones, who drops it! Nice bludger there Leanne, Lavender catches. She's streaking at goal, Peters dives for it... GRYFFINDOR SCORE!"  
  
Harry started to cheer along with the Gryffindors before realising that Cho was approaching on her circuit of the pitch. The two's eyes met, and she spoke to him harshly.  
  
"You really were a lousy kisser, Potter." She spat. Harry couldn't believe his ears, why had Cho turned on him so suddenly? But Harry wasn't going to put up with this. He made up his mind as he went past her, and he pulled a little way away from her. He gasped loudly so that Cho turned around, and narrowed his eyes. He streaked towards the ground beneath her. Cho didn't even look for the snitch, she dived straight down in front of him.  
  
They were side by side, Harry leaned forward mightily on his Firebolt, urging it level with Cho's, who was looking for the snitch in bewilderment. Harry pulled in front of her so she followed right behind him. Plummeting towards the ground, Harry prepared himself. He pulled up at the last second, and immediately turned around and saw Cho try to change direction, but too late. She fell from her broom onto the soft ground and rolled a few metres before stopping. She was breathing heavily, but seemed ok. Harry took off upwards again, determined to make the most of this brief respite to look for the snitch.  
  
Beneath him, the game had now reached a score of 30 points to 10 to Gryffindor. Harry circled the pitch quickly, his eyes peeled for the snitch. And then, as he went past Ron's goal and Cho was getting back on her broom, he saw it, glittering by Leanne's bat. He flattened himself against his Firebolt and charged after the snitch, Leanne moved composedly as she saw him speeding towards her, and soon Harry's hand closed around the golden snitch. Harry raised his arm in triumph over his head, as the Gryffindors roared their approval.  
  
*  
  
The Gryffindor team emerged back in the common room later to wild cheers. Hermione ran up and threw her arms around Ron's neck. He looked like trying to kiss her, but then drew back, looking over at Harry.  
  
"Its alright, I know," Harry said quickly, grinning.  
  
"You know?" Hermione squeaked. "How?"  
  
"I'll explain later, when it's a bit quieter." Harry said quickly. Winking at them, Harry went to talk to Ginny about the game.  
  
"Good Wronski Feint Harry!" she said. "I watched it and you're as good as Krum is!"  
  
Harry laughed. "Thanks! You played really well too." Ginny blushed slightly and murmured that it was nothing. They stood there in slightly uncomfortable silence, before Harry got dragged away to talk to Colin Creevey which, for once, he was mildly thankful for.  
  
Harry wasn't quite sure why his last conversation with Ginny had been awkward. He looked over at her, and caught her looking at him, but she quickly looked away. Harry frowned. What was going on?  
  
He dwelt on this matter for most of the evening, along with what he was to say to Ron and Hermione. Harry went up to his room a bit later, assuring Ron he would be back when the common room was emptier, and sat on his bed. He took out the Marauders map, and peered at it quickly, to see how many people were still in the common room.  
  
But something else caught his eye. He saw a figure waiting in Hogsmeade outside the Hogwarts gates. It was labelled: "Albus Dumbledore". Harry was curious as to why he would be there, but before he could think about why Dumbledore would be there, another figure appeared. It was labelled "Remus Lupin", who had obviously just apparated there. He watched as they both strolled down through Hogsmeade, and up past the Shrieking Shack. They stopped around a corner from there, on a small road that Harry had not been up before. His heart almost stopped as then, quite suddenly, a building appeared. Upon reading its name, Harry's heart gave another jolt. "Godric's Hollow".  
  
Harry was so shocked by this, because he instantly recognised the name as that of the house his parents had been in before Lord Voldemort killed them. Looking back quickly at the map, Harry watched Dumbledore and Lupin leave. His eyes roved back to the common room and, upon seeing that it was empty save for Ron and Hermione, he wrenched open the door and sprinted down the steps.  
  
He walked in to find them in each other's arms, but they sprang apart at the sight of Harry.  
  
"It's ok," Harry said breathlessly, "I err... I saw you last night."  
  
"What?" said Ron quickly.  
  
Harry took a breath, and explained about his reading the note, his early escape from detention, and his following Ron under the invisibility cloak. Hermione, who had been more then a little annoyed at Harry's reading of their private note, seemed to forgive him on the basis that he was ok with their relationship.  
  
"I err...." Harry grinned slightly, "hope you two have a long and happy relationship!" He laughed out loud at this, and Ron did too, much to Hermione's distaste, but soon she was laughing also. Then Harry sat up straight, as if remembering something.  
  
"Oh yeah!" he said suddenly. "Just now in my room, I was looking at the Marauder's map, to see if the common room was empty..." Harry went on and explained what he had seen. When he finished, he sat back, looking straight out of the window. Ron and Hermione were sat in silence too, a silence which Hermione broke.  
  
"When will we go?" she asked simply.  
  
Harry felt a wave of relief, he knew instantly that he wanted to go there. Hermione continued.  
  
"There are no more Hogsmeade weekends until Hogsmeade can be classified as safe." Said Hermione.  
  
"What?" said Harry.  
  
"Professor McGonagall said it in her N.E.W.Ts speech." Hermione answered.  
  
"That complicates things." Ron said gloomily. Harry screwed up his face in concentration, before he had an idea.  
  
"Why don't we go after the Halloween ball?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yeah!" Ron immediately enthused, looking eagerly at Hermione, who smiled at him, nodding.  
  
"Yes I think that would work." She said. Harry felt a tingle of excitement. The Halloween ball was on the 2nd of November, just three nights time. Leaving the other two to say goodnight to each other, Harry went upstairs to his room, where Neville, Dean and Seamus all were asleep. Getting quietly into bed, Harry reflected on the Halloween ball, and his impending visit to his parent's house. But then another thought sprang into his head. Who would he ask to the ball? 


	12. The Aniservian Charm

Chapter 12 - The Aniservian Charm  
  
This question troubled Harry greatly over the next few days, even though he was kept very busy. At lunch on Monday, the last day of October, he sat thinking about it. He no longer had any inclination of asking Cho to the ball, so now he was left with very few possibilities. He had already ruled out Ginny (best friend's little sister), Parvati (worked out badly last ball), Lavender (would have heard from Parvati) and Hermione (who would be going with Ron no doubt).  
  
But, in Transfiguration, something happened which blew all thoughts of the Halloween ball, and of going to Godric's Hollow, out of his mind. He, Ron and Hermione were sat in Charms, where Ron was muttering to Harry about Ginny's continued relationship with Dean, (which Ron was most displeased about), when the class began to be dismissed. The students around them started to get their books together, and Harry and Ron set to follow suit, before Professor McGonagall swept on them, requesting they wait behind after lessons.  
  
When the three of them were the only students left, they walked up to Professor McGonagall, who was magically putting notes up for the next class.  
  
"Sit down," she said curtly. The three of them complied, settling down in front of her desk. She addressed them directly. "The three of you will be happy to know, that Professor Snape informed me this morning of his completion of the Aniservian potion. I should like you three, in my office, tonight at 8 o'clock. Ok?"  
  
The three of them agreed emphatically, and left the room, talking excitedly.  
  
"Oh I wonder what I'll be!" said Hermione eagerly. "Maybe an otter, like my Patronus?"  
  
Harry hadn't thought of this, but on reflection, it was a fair idea. Would he be a stag like his father? Thinking about it, Harry wasn't sure he would want to be one, but his thoughts were rudely interrupted by the Herbology test Professor Sprout was giving them that afternoon.  
  
*  
  
The three of them walked down to Professor McGonagall's office in the deafening silence that surrounds those who are nervous. Harry felt a thrill of foreboding as they stepped through the door into their Transfiguration classroom. Professor McGonagall was waiting.  
  
"You may sit down, Miss Granger, follow me." Professor McGonagall turned and stepped through the door behind her desk into her quarters. Harry and Ron watched Hermione follow her through, before the door was shut behind her.  
  
"What do you reckon she'll be?" Ron asked.  
  
"I don't know," said Harry truthfully, "something clever I expect." Ron laughed.  
  
"Yeah, probably." The conversation fell silent, but neither had to wait long. Hermione emerged with a broad smile on her face, and wasted no time on telling Harry and Ron.  
  
"An owl!" she said excitedly. "Oh I can't wait, I'll get to fly anywhere I want! Oh, she says to send Ron in." Ron got to his feet, a gleeful expression on his face.  
  
"Hope I'm something big!" he said eagerly, before turning and almost running through the door. Hermione sat down next to Harry.  
  
"So what happens?" Harry enquired.  
  
"Well, first she takes a strand of your hair, like for the polyjuice potion, and then she put it in this potion which she stirred three times with her wand." Hermione responded. "Then you drink some of the potion, and then she puts her wand against your head while saying an incantation, before putting her wand in this bowl of liquid of some kind. Then it rises up, and forms into your animal!"  
  
"Did you expect to be an owl?" Harry asked.  
  
"I didn't know what to expect, but deep down I thought maybe an owl." Hermione replied truthfully. "What do you think you'll be?"  
  
Harry considered. "I don't know," he said honestly.  
  
Hermione nodded approvingly. "Yes, I think its better if you don't go in with any expectations. Then you won't be disappointed."  
  
Harry thought this made sense, and was starting to think about Godric's Hollow, when Ron stepped out of Professor McGonagall's office, beaming.  
  
"A Great Dane!" he said happily. "A big powerful dog, just like I said!" Harry and Hermione laughed, but Harry trailed off as Ron continued. "It's your turn Harry!"  
  
Harry got up, nerves jangling in his stomach, and stepped through the door into Professor McGonagall's quarters.  
  
Harry's first impression was of how typically Professor McGonagall it was. Everything was neatly ordered, and Harry had a fleeting moment where he tried to imagine the ecstasy Hermione must have felt upon seeing this room.  
  
"Sit, Potter." Professor McGonagall's sharp tones brought him back to his senses, and he sat down opposite Professor McGonagall, next to a round table. On the table was a bowl of shimmering liquid, very much like the consistency and colour of that of a penseive. In a cauldron behind McGonagall, was a bubbling cauldron, which was over a roaring fire, of which Harry could feel the intense heat. Professor McGonagall continued.  
  
"I will now use the Aniservian potion to find out which animal you will become when you transform." Handing over some scissors, she continued. "I require a few hairs." Harry cut off a few, and placed them in her upturned hand, placing the scissors on the table. Professor McGonagall turned, and dropped the hairs carefully into the bubbling cauldron.  
  
Harry watched the cauldron, as did Professor McGonagall. After a few seconds, there was a small popping sound, and she stirred it three times with her wand. After the third time, the potion turned a rich blood red, and she quickly dipped a goblet in to the potion, which she handed to Harry.  
  
"Drink up, quickly now!" she said. Harry took a drink of the potion, which tasted oddly sweet. Professor McGonagall waited until Harry had drunk the goblet, before leaning over the table, and placing her wand against his head.  
  
"Aniservius!" she said. Harry could just about see that the wand on his forehead was starting to glow, and Harry felt oddly as though he had dipped his head in cold water. Professor McGonagall moved the wand from his head, and dipped it into the goblet.  
  
Harry watched in awe as the liquid swirled, before it rose up. Harry recognised it at once. Its wings lay by its side, its head perked up, beak out. It was in the prime of its life, and Harry watched as the liquid's colour changed too, so that the unmistakable red-gold plumage shone throughout the room.  
  
"A Phoenix!" Harry breathed. But as Harry watched, the mixture started to change its shape and colour, it was forming something else... Harry's eyes snapped up to meet Professor McGonagall, who looked equally surprised. The mixture was becoming a lighter gold colour and Harry watched as four legs sprouted out of the mixture, and then a small tail, and a mane... Harry watched as the lion took full form, but then the liquid started to change again... Harry watched each change in fascination. First a phoenix, then a lion, then a hippogriff, then a thestral, then a serpent, then a stag, before finally sinking back into its bowl and becoming still.  
  
Harry sat in silence for a moment, before looking up at Professor McGonagall, who was finishing writing down the animals that had appeared.  
  
"What did that mean Professor?" he asked quietly.  
  
"I'm not sure, hold on a moment Potter." Professor McGonagall rose, before walking over to a small fireplace in the corner. She threw on some Floo powder.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore's office." She said, before stepping in. The fire went green, casting an eerie light over the room for a moment, and then she was gone. Harry was sat there alone for only a matter of minutes, before the slender form of the headmaster stepped out of the fireplace, quickly followed by Professor McGonagall.  
  
"Good evening Harry." Dumbledore said quietly.  
  
"Good evening Professor." Harry replied, staring up at Dumbledore's frowning face. "What did it mean Professor?"  
  
"Unless I am very much mistaken," Dumbledore answered, "it meant that you will be able to transform into a number of creatures."  
  
Harry's face lit up. "So I can transform into anything?"  
  
Dumbledore smiled slightly. "No, I am afraid not, but from what Professor McGonagall tells me, you have one of the largest possible ranges she has heard of. You see, people who can transform into several animals are very rare, and most can only transform into just two or three animals. You on the other hand, will be able to transform into..." Dumbledore's eyes scanned the list quickly, "six animals."  
  
Harry's heart started to beat slightly faster. "When will we start learning?"  
  
"Thursday," said Professor McGonagall. "Every Thursday until you can do it. But I should warn you Potter, this will not get you out of your homework, as I told Miss Granger and Mr Weasley. You may go now."  
  
Very happy, Harry strode out of the room, to find Ron and Hermione in each other's arms, waiting for him.  
  
Ron went slightly scarlet, but recovered himself. "What kept you?" he asked quickly, but before Harry could answer, Ron had seen into McGonagall's office. "Why is Dumbledore in there?"  
  
Harry explained to Ron and Hermione as they walked back up to the common room as to what had happened when Professor McGonagall had performed the charm on him. They were as excited as he was when he told them about the animals he could be.  
  
"Wow!" Hermione squealed excitedly, "Imagine it! Whenever you are hurt, you could just use a Phoenix's healing powers! And when you want to get somewhere, you could fly as a Phoenix, or a Hippogriff or a Thestral!"  
  
"Yeah," Ron chipped in, "Or you be a lion when you needed some power, or a stag for some ground speed. Why do you reckon you got a serpent though?"  
  
Harry thought he knew, but he shrugged as if he didn't know. Harry was pretty sure his being able to transform into a serpent was just like his ability to speak Parseltongue: inherited from Lord Voldemort. Hermione seemed to understand this also, but didn't say anything.  
  
In the common room Harry sat in a chair by the fire, thinking about this new development. Around him, most people were talking about the ball, especially as Ron and Hermione had just announced they were an item, and were going together. A fair few people asked Harry what he thought of them being together and he had to keep assuring people that he was ok with it. Eventually, he got fed up with being asked and went up to his room, and he soon fell asleep. 


	13. The Fourth Conspirator

Chapter 13 – The fourth conspirator  
  
Over the next two days Harry still hadn't managed to find a date for the ball although, much to his amazement, he had had plenty of offers. But Harry just simply couldn't bring himself to go with a girl he didn't know, and bring another person into his world of constant tension.  
  
Harry, after being pressured by Ron, decided to go to the ball and, after further pressure from Ginny and Hermione, he dressed up in his dress robes also. He went down to the ball with Ron and Hermione arm in arm ahead of him, and Ginny and Dean a little way behind him. Harry's heart was thudding painfully in his chest at the thought of the trip to Godric's Hollow that evening, but his attention was captivated as he looked into the hall.  
  
The hall was decorated with enormous pumpkins the size of tables, their evilly grinning faces lit up by fire charms inside. Half of the hall was given away to dancing, with a stage mounted at one end. The Weird Sisters (back by popular demand) were not yet on the stage, but Harry supposed they would be soon, as their instruments were already on stage. In the far corner of the hall a small bar selling Butterbeer had been set up, and the rest of the hall was full of lots of tables of all shapes and sizes.  
  
As Harry entered the hall alone, alongside him another couple entered; Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson. Malfoy looked at him briefly, and Harry prepared himself for the comment about his lack of a partner, but to Harry's amazement Malfoy just walked straight past. Inwardly marvelling, Harry followed Ron and Hermione, still clutching each other tightly, towards a table.  
  
However, no sooner had Harry sat at the table with them then the Weird Sisters had appeared on stage, and Hermione was dragging Ron up for a dance. With an attempt at an apologetic look, Ron set off grinning happily, and soon they were dancing happily. Dean and Ginny were dancing nearby, but before Harry could spot Malfoy, Neville had joined him at the table.  
  
"I see you don't have a date either Harry," he said quietly. "Did you ask anyone?" Harry shook his head. "I did, Hermione again, did you know she was with Ron?"  
  
"Yeah I did," Harry replied cautiously, "but I assured them I would let them announce it." This last bit was a lie, but Harry thought it would be better if Neville didn't think Harry had lied to him.  
  
There was quiet for a moment, before Neville spoken again. "They make a good couple."  
  
Harry looked up, surprised. Harry had long thought that Neville had liked Hermione, and was impressed with how well Neville was taking it. He was about to say so, when he heard behind him a soft pattering sound, which Harry soon realised were hooves. He turned around and smiled broadly.  
  
"Hello Firenze." Harry looked up at the centaur who had briefly taught him Divination the previous year. He looked a little different, and Harry suspected he was still upset about the other centaurs in the forest banishing him for helping humans.  
  
"Good evening Harry Potter," he said in his ethereal tones. "How are you this evening?"  
  
"I'm fine," Harry replied quickly, "how are you?"  
  
Firenze sighed disdainfully. "I am weary of, and yet becoming strangely accustomed to human ways," he said deeply, "yet this evening is too far. Humans miss out on the magical nature of this night and use it as an excuse for a ball. The planetary movements did not align Halloween as some sort of celebration."  
  
Harry and Neville sat through Firenze's discussion of how Halloween had begun with the formation of the original Ministry of Magic, but Harry could not help but find his attention dwindling rapidly. As Firenze moved on to talk about the downfall of the very first Ministry in 1378, Harry spotted something that grabbed his attention.  
  
Ginny and Dean had stopped dancing, and were standing not far from Harry's table, but Harry could not quite hear them. Dean was looking concerned as he spoke, and then after a paused Ginny started to cry. Dean put out an arm but she shrank away, and he turned and walked off. After a few seconds she ran out of the hall. Harry looked at his watch. He was to be meeting Ron and Hermione to head to Godric's Hollow in ten minutes, but he decided he'd better go and check on Ginny. He stood up abruptly.  
  
"Sorry Firenze, I don't feel very well." Harry said quickly, and he walked out of the hall slowly, in case Neville and Firenze were still watching. Harry saw Ginny standing alone by the fountain outside, and he went to her.  
  
"Are you alright?" he said cautiously.  
  
She turned her tear stricken face to him, before hiding away again. "Oh Harry," she sobbed, "I'm f-fine, really." She let out a hiccup, and Harry frowned.  
  
"I saw... inside with Dean... did he..." Harry trailed off, looking at her.  
  
"He broke up with me!" She said tearfully, and she buried herself in Harry's chest. Harry was quite shocked but, realising that Ginny needed a friend, he put his arms around her and let her get on with it. Harry was annoyed to see that this was the exact moment when Ron and Hermione would choose to come outside to the fountain. Ron grinned at him, but a look from Ginny and he immediately stopped.  
  
"What's wrong Ginny?" Hermione asked carefully. Ginny hiccuped again and Harry quickly told them what had happened. After consolation from Hermione and assurances from Ron that he would give Dean "a seeing to", Harry's thought's turned to the night ahead.  
  
"Have you got the cloak?" Hermione asked, obviously thinking along the same lines. Harry reached under the fountain and pulled his cloak out of a hidden crevice.  
  
"Harry..." Ginny said slowly, "what are you doing?" Harry exchanged a glance with Hermione, who nodded back at him.  
  
"We're going to Godric's Hollow." He said simply.  
  
"Godric's..." Ginny trailed off, and her eyes snapped up to Harry's face. "Isn't that where... where your parents lived?" Harry nodded simply, pulling the invisibility cloak out properly. "I'm coming." She said quickly.  
  
Harry looked up at her. He was going to say no, but then reconsidered. Why shouldn't Ginny come? Harry looked at the other two, and nodded.  
  
"Ok, but that means I'll have to make two trips with the cloak, it won't cover the four of us out of the grounds." Hermione stepped forwards.  
  
"I'll go with you first." Harry held up the cloak, and they started the run down the lawns to Hogsmeade. When they were suitably far from Ron and Ginny, Hermione slowed Harry down to a walk.  
  
"So what's going on with you and Ginny?" She said curiously.  
  
"What?" Harry asked.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes. "You and Ginny," she repeated patiently. "You were quite close when we found you."  
  
It was Harry's turn to roll his eyes. "She had just been dumped by Dean," he said with his most patronising tone, "and I was making sure she was ok."  
  
Hermione snorted loudly. "It looked like something more intimate to -"  
  
"Be quite." Harry said suddenly. He was peering around, he was sure he had heard something. After a few minutes of holding his breath, Harry sighed. There was nothing. "You wait here."  
  
He ran back up to the school, and quickly brought Ron and Ginny back to Hermione in Hogsmeade. It was very surreal walking up the empty Hogsmeade streets, the darkened shops looming suddenly into vision as they passed, and only the light of the Hogs Head still on. Harry pulled out the Marauder's Map.  
  
"I solemnly swear I am up to no good." The map spread itself out, and Harry quickly located the four of them, and ascertained they need to go about half a mile further down the high street, then down a driveway into the house. They walked on for a bit longer, and Harry gasped.  
  
On his left, there was an enormous, rambling farmhouse. It was white in colour, and thick brown beams swept across in all directions, like a spider's web. There were three stories, and an extra wing to the house that looked like a workshop. In front of the house was a small garden, lavishly decorated with flowers that Harry recognised as lilies. Harry felt a tear -  
  
"Harry, what are you looking at?" said Ron in puzzlement.  
  
Harry spun around. "It's - it's my parents house..." he said slowly. Ron frowned even more. "Can't you see it?"  
  
Ron shook his head as did Ginny, but Hermione seemed to be standing in quiet satisfaction.  
  
"Go on then," Harry said, "why can't they see it?"  
  
"I can't either," said Hermione quickly, "but I know why. The Fidelius charm must still be in place to protect you. But Harry, you said you saw Dumbledore here didn't you?"  
  
Harry nodded. "Yeah, and Lupin."  
  
"Well then I suspect he will have left out a note for you," she said briskly. "Go and have a look!"  
  
Harry strode up the drive, to the amazement of Ron. Harry assumed that from Ron's perspective, Harry must have just walked into a tree. Harry continued up to the house, and spotted a front door. In front of the door was a greeting map, reading "Home Sweet Home". But Harry's attention was drawn to an envelope with familiar neat handwriting on the outside saying:  
  
"To Harry James Potter"  
  
Harry ripped it open, his heart in his chest, and into his outstretched palm fell a key and out fell three scraps of parchment. Harry opened the first parchment and read in Professor Dumbledore's handwriting.  
  
"Harry: we found this in a raid of Peter Pettigrew's house. It was believed to be used to tell Lord Voldemort the whereabouts of your parents. Along with the key and deed to this property, I give it to you. Professor Albus Dumbledore."  
  
Harry's heart gave another painful thud at the mention of his parents, before he scanned over the deed to his house, and then finally turned to the last parchment, which had unfamiliar handwriting on it.  
  
"The residency of James, Lily and Harry Potter may be found at Godric's Hollow, High Street, Hogsmeade." 


	14. Godric's Hollow

Chapter 14 - Godric's Hollow  
  
Harry sprinted back up the drive to the others, the pieces of parchment and the key clutched tightly in his hands.  
  
"You were right Hermione," he said breathlessly. "The Fidelius charm is still in place, quick, read this." He passed over the parchment and watched them reading before they each looked up and gasped.  
  
"Blimey!" was all Ron seemed to manage.  
  
"Harry... it's beautiful!" said Ginny in awe. Harry watched as her smile broadened. "Let's go have a look!"  
  
The four of them strode down the drive, (Ron and Hermione arm in arm again), and Harry drew out the key as they stood in front of the door. With a shaking hand, he placed the key in the lock, turned it, and opened the door.  
  
The hallway stood before them. Harry thought it looked just as a family house should do, with pictures on top of cabinets of his parents and him as a baby, a living room just off to one side with yet more pictures on the mantelpiece, and stairs leading up to three bedrooms and a bathroom. In the hallway, Harry found a note from Dumbledore and Remus.  
  
"In each room of the house we have left you a note about the room. Save your bedroom for last."  
  
Harry frowned as he passed the note to Hermione, and was about to go up the stairs and look in his room, but Hermione stopped him.  
  
"Dumbledore usually has a good reason for his actions," she said in careful tones, "so trust him on this one."  
  
Harry nodded, and walked towards the living room. On the door was a note marked, "Living room" which Harry opened and read:  
  
"Your parents used this room when they had guests around in the evening. I personally remember one night where, as a baby of just a few weeks, you picked up your father's wand and destroyed half the mantelpiece. Sirius didn't stop laughing about that for weeks."  
  
Harry stepped into the room, smiling now, and looked around. There was a long sofa along one side of the room, opposite a fireplace. Above the fireplace was a restored mantelpiece, with a clock and a picture of his mum on it. Harry felt tears springing to his mind, and he took the picture and sat down in an armchair by the front window.  
  
She was stood outside the front door of the house, her hair draped neatly down her back, and she smiled and waved at Harry as he looked into the photo. Her startlingly green eyes met Harry's and, for the first time in his life, Harry truly understood what people meant about him having his mum's eyes. Looking into the window he looked at his own reflection, just about visible, and saw his mum's eyes, his own eyes, staring back at him. He got to his feet, vaguely aware of the other three watching him, cautious not to say anything.  
  
He walked out of a second door and found himself in a kitchen. It looked exactly like Aunt Petunia's kitchen at home, although Harry was sure that his mum wouldn't have kicked him out if he'd ever been in there. There were large, neat cabinets arrayed tightly around the room, and a small unit in the middle of the room that was obviously used for preparing food. The note he found on there was short and simple.  
  
"Your mother used to make the best casserole I ever tasted. I believe the recipe is in a book on the shelf by the window."  
  
Harry walked towards the shelf, but the window caught his eye. Peering out, he gasped.  
  
Sweeping away from the house a long, tidy lawn stretched itself out. A table and chairs sat outside on a small patio, and at the far end of the garden a row of trees guarded what Harry supposed must be the back fence. The flowerbeds however, were empty, and Harry spied a note on the table outside, held down by Spellotape.  
  
"The garden is yours to decorate. I'm sure Hermione and Ginny would love to help you with the flowers, though Ron may be disappointed at the lack of space for a Quidditch pitch. Your father certainly was."  
  
Harry coughed slightly, but now there was a smile on his face, and he held out the note to Ron who, after reading and then briefly inspecting Harry's reaction again, smiled too.  
  
"I'm sure we could figure something out," Ron said, grinning broadly.  
  
Harry nodded. "Come on, let's go back inside." In truth, he was dying to see what was upstairs, and was almost mildly relieved at the lack of other rooms downstairs, save for a private study which his father had used occasionally.  
  
He strode quickly up the stairs, and it took all his strength not to walk straight into the first room on the right, his bedroom. Instead he turned on the landing and walked to the far end, to find his parent's bedroom.  
  
In the middle stood a grand four poster bed, with two little cupboards on either side, that served the dual purpose of bedside tables. An ornate looking lamp stood on top of each and Harry noticed, with a small smile, a miniature Gryffindor lion roaring around the bottom of the shade. Ron pointed out, with a small grin, that this room did not have a note in it, but his grin quickly turned to surprise as Hermione started berating him for being so disgusting and insensitive.  
  
Harry started laughing slightly, not quite sure he had understood Ron right (certainly hoping he was wrong), before leaving the bedroom. There were only two rooms left, and after a quick look around a large bathroom (which had one big and one small, baby-sized bath), Harry found himself standing outside the final room. He took a breath, remembering Dumbledore's words for a moment.  
  
"Go on," said Ginny quietly, "we'll wait out here for you." At a nod from Ron, Harry opened the door and stepped into a large room, closing the door behind him. There was a bed over in the far corner of the room, and a wardrobe off to one side. Harry was beginning to wonder what Dumbledore had been saving this room especially for...  
  
"Harry?" Harry leapt around in shock, the voice had come from behind him and it sounded strangely familiar. His eyes widened in shock and he sank to his knees, his heart beating a tattoo in his chest, one hand on the floor to keep himself from fainting.  
  
On the wall next to the door and directly opposite one end of the bed, a portrait hung, its two occupants smiling tearfully at him. The man was tall with untidy black hair, his arms around a woman whose green eyes shimmered with tears as they looked down at him.  
  
"Mum?" he whispered. "Dad?"  
  
"Hello son," his father said in a voice strained with emotion. There was silence for a moment, and Harry didn't know what to say, his mind was a frenzy of thoughts, questions, and his heart buzzing with emotions he hadn't ever felt so deep. Harry's mum broke the silence.  
  
"Albus and Remus said you would be here at Christmas..." trying to keep an even voice, "why are you here early?"  
  
Harry's face broke into one of the biggest smiles it had ever done, upon realising his mother was softly chiding him. He felt a desperate longing to hug her, but his elation upon just being able to talk to them far outweighed any sorrow he felt. "I'll show you." He said quickly. He gently got to his feet, not quite sure whether to trust his legs fully, and edged towards the door, not taking his eyes off the portrait of his parents. He opened the door and met Ron, Hermione and Ginny's inquisitive gazes.  
  
"Who were you talking to?" said Ron, "and why are you so happy?" Harry couldn't say anything, and merely beckoned them into the room.  
  
"Are these your friends Harry?" James asked. Hermione and Ginny whipped around, they had not noticed the portrait, and let out soft screams of delight. Ron, who had already spotted the portrait, was looking from the portrait to the smile on Harry's face and was starting to smile himself.  
  
"Mum, Dad," Harry started in a shaking voice, "this is Ron Weasley, my best friend since first year, his wonderful sister Ginny, and Hermione Granger, by far the cleverest girl in our year." Each of Harry's friends blushed at Harry's announcement of them, but James was frowning slightly.  
  
"Weasley?" he said slowly, "are you Arthur and Molly's children?" Ron exchanged a glance with Harry and nodded. "We knew them through the Order," James went on, "lovely people they were. Speaking of the Order, Remus didn't say where Sirius was, do you know?"  
  
Hermione ushered the others out of the room, closing the door behind her, as Harry sat down on the edge of the bed, and started to explain all that had happened.  
  
*  
  
Although it was late, Harry spent over an hour talking to his parents about his life so far. James was very sad to hear about Sirius, but his sadness turned to puzzlement at Voldemort's lack of actions. Harry assured them he would ask Dumbledore. Harry's parents knew about the prophecy, and they said that he would be ready when the time came.  
  
They also explained about how the portrait had come to be, using a special paint mixture called Emberic paint that worked in a similar way to the Polyjuice potion.  
  
"Harry," his mum said quietly, "I know you would stay here forever, but you should get back to the school. We will see you again very soon." Harry nodded and started to get to his feet. "But before you go, there is something that may interest you. In the garden there is a door which we built when you were a baby. It should still be there. It is a private space for you."  
  
Harry forced back a tear at this parental love that he had never felt before. He didn't know how to express it, he just looked at them happy, for once, that he was Harry Potter, son of Lily and James Potter. He opened his mouth but no sound came out.  
  
"I know son," James said gruffly. "We love you too, always. Now head back to Hogwarts, we will see you soon." With a tear in his eye, Harry walked quickly out the room. He would never forget that moment upon entering his room and was quite sure that he now had a different memory to concentrate on for forming the world's brightest Patronus. 


	15. A Meeting With Dumbledore

Chapter 15 – A Meeting with Dumbledore  
  
Harry walked home in a sort of happy trance, often looking back, convinced he had never been so happy as he had been just then. Ron, Hermione and Ginny walked behind him, talking quietly, but obviously glad that Harry was so happy. Harry was almost oblivious to them being there.  
  
They had not dithered long at Godric's Hollow, just to have a quick search in vain around the garden for the room Harry's mum had spoken of, and were now walking up the Hogwarts lawns. The sounds of the ball ending filtered through to their ears, and Harry decided not to bother with putting on the invisibility cloak. Ron and Hermione fell back outside for some privacy, and Ginny stepped up next to Harry.  
  
"I'm glad you found them," she said simply. She was smiling brightly up at him, and she took his arm as they walked up the stairs towards the common room. Even through his numb happiness Harry felt the surprise at this move from Ginny, but he pulled her slightly closer to him all the same.  
  
They entered the common room and sat down in chairs by the fire, awaiting Ron and Hermione's return, when Ginny spoke unexpectedly.  
  
"Are you going to read the diary now then?" Harry's eyes shot up to meet hers. He hadn't even considered this possibility, but upon reflection, he now saw no reason not to.  
  
"I hadn't thought about it," he said slowly, "I guess I will. But I want to find that door first."  
  
Ginny nodded, yawning. "I think I'll go up to bed. Thanks for being there for me tonight." She smiled shyly and turned and walked up the stairs. Harry watched her leave, and with her gone, he felt a sudden pang of loneliness. This was somewhat enhanced by the arrival of Ron and Hermione, and Harry soon went up to bed, although his happiness kept him awake into the early hours.  
  
*  
  
In the morning, Harry went down to breakfast but, before he could start eating, he saw Professor Dumbledore beckoning him over.  
  
"Good morning Harry," he said, his eyes twinkling, "I trust you enjoyed last night?" Harry gasped slightly, did Dumbledore know, or was he referring to the ball. Harry contented himself with a nod, knowing Dumbledore must have more to say.  
  
"I just wanted to inform you that your lessons with me will begin tonight at 8 o'clock," he said quietly, "bring with you your wand, your father's cloak and that map of yours, I would rather others did not know of our meetings." Harry nodded understandingly, before returning to his table.  
  
He spent most of the day swinging between two vastly different moods, his elation at virtually regaining his parents, and his concern at what he was about to learn with Professor Dumbledore. He also felt a morbid curiosity as to what it would be like to kill someone, but then Harry felt disgusted with himself. He would not enjoy killing anything, he reassured himself.  
  
"I'm not Voldemort," he mused out loud.  
  
"Pardon?" Ron asked, looking up from his homework.  
  
"Nothing, just thinking aloud." Harry covered quickly. They were in the common room and Harry was trying desperately to finish his Potions essay before he had his meeting with Professor Dumbledore. Dashing off the last line or two, Harry collected his invisibility cloak and map, and looked at his watch.  
  
Checking no one was looking; he threw the cloak over his head and waited by the portrait. It opened and Hermione walked past, (whispering "good luck" as she entered the common room), and Harry stepped out of the room and walked quickly to Professor Dumbledore's office. The halls were eerily quiet, except for the small distant noise of Peeves smashing up another room. Harry used the map to check if anyone was coming. He arrived at the bottom of the stairs to find Dumbledore standing there. Dumbledore didn't look at all surprised when Harry pulled off the cloak.  
  
"Good evening Harry," said Dumbledore, who turned to face the gargoyle behind him. "Chocolate Frog." Harry smiled, recalling how Dumbledore's passwords always seemed to be some kind of sweet. He stood on the moving staircase behind Dumbledore, which rose majestically, spiralling upwards before stopping in line with a door. Dumbledore opened it and Harry followed him into the office.  
  
Dumbledore sat down behind his desk and surveyed Harry through his glasses, as he had so many times before. "What did you think of your room?" he said quietly.  
  
The frankness of Dumbledore's statement caught Harry totally off guard, and he looked directly into his headmaster's eyes.  
  
"It was... It was..." Harry didn't know what to say, but trailed off with a look of elation on his face as he recalled the events of the previous evening.  
  
Dumbledore smiled. "I know Harry," he said softly, "it must have been wonderful to, on one level, regain your parents. I suppose you are wondering when we were going to tell you?"  
  
Harry nodded. "Yes Professor, I did wonder."  
  
"We, that is to say Remus and I, were planning on giving you the key to your house for Christmas," Dumbledore answered matter-of-factly, "but since you have discovered our surprise early, I see no harm in you now spending Christmas in your new home. We will recast the Fidelius Charm with someone else as the secret keeper."  
  
"Is that possible?" Harry asked suddenly. "I mean, surely the nature of the Fidelius charm means that you would require the original secret keeper to be present."  
  
Dumbledore positively beamed. "I did hope you would pick up on that. You remember well the events of your third year I suppose?" Harry nodded. "Then you remember the fact that you saved the life of Peter Pettigrew?"  
  
Again Harry nodded, but he thought he understood. "So... because Worm- Peter owes me a life debt, then this cancels out the Fidelius charm?"  
  
"Almost, but not quite," Dumbledore answered, shaking his head. "It doesn't out right cancel the Fidelius charm, but it means that you are also the secret keeper."  
  
Harry gasped, but then quickly frowned. "Then how come they still couldn't see the house when I pointed at it?"  
  
"Did you say the words Godric's Hollow? As part of this particular charm would have meant your wording would have needed to be very specific."  
  
Harry thought back. "No, I didn't say Godric's Hollow. So how does my being the second secret keeper mean we can cancel out the first charm?"  
  
"Because," said Dumbledore slowly, "Only one secret keeper is required to remove the original charm, even if that person was not the original secret keeper."  
  
"If only I had been the original secret keeper," Harry muttered gloomily. They sat in silence for a few moments, Harry dwelling on his dreams of that fateful day, before another question crossed his mind. "Professor, you said last year that I had been saved by a power... what is this power and where does it come from?"  
  
Dumbledore sat silent for a moment, as if contemplating his answer. "The power that flows through your veins, the power that flows through your body is all around us. It is life itself, it is love, the most powerful wizarding commodity available. As for where it comes from, it comes from any who dare to love, but it wouldn't have been possible were it not for the experimentation of one of the best wizards of his age."  
  
Godric Gryffindor," said Harry quietly.  
  
"Indeed, Godric figured out a way to enhance this power, within himself, which meant that when he loved someone, his powers grew stronger. Strong enough to seemingly require, like Salazar Slytherin, a place to enhance and test these powers."  
  
Harry choked slightly. "You mean like a Gryffindor Chamber of Secrets?" Dumbledore nodded. "So is it here? At Hogwarts?"  
  
Dumbledore smiled slightly. "The chamber is, as yet, an undiscovered legend. The chamber, or the chasm of life to give it its mythical name, has been searched for many times, but not found. Only Godric's true heir will be able to open it, although there are runes that symbolise the entrance to the chasm."  
  
"Runes?" Harry asked. In answer, Dumbledore got to his feet and walked to a bookcase beside his desk and pulled out a thick book entitled, "The four founders". He carefully opened the book and turned forward a few pages, before turning the book around and handing it to Harry.  
  
In the middle of the page there were five runes, looking much like Egyptian hieroglyphics, and Harry wondered what they meant. The puzzlement must have shown on his face, for Dumbledore answered his unasked question.  
  
"They are numbers," he said simply, "written in an Ancient Egyptian wizards writing." He extended his arm and pointed at the hieroglyphics. "This is number one, this is number two, number three, number four and number five," he said, indicating each one in turn, "but the order to open the chasm of life is written on the next page."  
  
Harry turned over, and saw the same runes again, but in a different order. "Five, two, three, one, four." Harry read off, flicking backwards and forwards between the two pages. "Professor..." Harry started slowly, "I was wondering about... since I pulled Godric's sword out of the hat and my parents house is called Godric's hollow..." he trailed off looking up at Dumbledore.  
  
"You are wondering if you are Godric Gryffindor's heir?" Harry merely nodded. Dumbledore paused for a moment, looking at his fingers as if unsure how to phrase his answer before turning back to Harry.  
  
"I will admit that the thought has crossed my mind Harry," he said, "but there is no way of knowing if you are of the Gryffindor descent. This is because there are several centuries of war hundreds of years ago, where bloodlines were killed off and many changed their names to fit in. This makes it almost impossible to follow blood lines."  
  
Harry sighed. He had a power in his veins that had been originally discovered by Godric Gryffindor, and this power had saved him from Lord Voldemort, during his first rise to power, when he was younger. This thought sparked another question in Harry's mind.  
  
"Professor..." he started slowly, "what's Voldemort up to? Because I haven't heard anything about any suspicious deaths or anything since Azkaban was taken."  
  
Dumbledore sighed. "He has been very quiet since those prisoners escaped from the ministry," he said, frowning, "though I am sure he has not been inactive. I imagine he is currently recruiting followers for his cause."  
  
"Killing me," said Harry quietly. Dumbledore looked Harry straight in the eye, his piercing gaze peering into Harry's mind.  
  
"I know you are worried Harry, but never despair," he said sharply. "This is why you are here Harry, so I can prepare you for that time when you must be ready. You are not ready yet, but nor are you supposed to be."  
  
Dumbledore pulled off into what Harry assumed would become a lengthy silence, but a sharp tapping drew his attention. Harry instinctively looked up at the window, expecting Hedwig or another owl to be there tapping on the window. But Dumbledore merely got to his feet and opened his cupboard.  
  
Out flew... a small bit of paper. It flapped madly around Dumbledore's head, before he calmly took hold of it, scanned it for a moment, before throwing it on the fire. He spotted the puzzled look on Harry's face and laughed slightly, breaking the previously uneasy air in the room.  
  
"That," he said indicating the small pile of ash in the fire that had been the paper, "is a wizarding post-it note, as I believe Muggles like to call them. I rather like them, they pester you until you get done what you wrote on them you see, but as I was about to do what it said anyway, I was able to rip it up." Dumbledore paused for a moment to look at the smile that had squeezed itself onto Harry's face. "It was reminding me to make a regular appointment with you. Now I know you have Quidditch on Mondays and Thursdays... So lets say Tuesdays at 8 o'clock. Wait for me outside the statue, I'll know when you're there."  
  
Harry nodded, standing up and motioning to put the book back on the desk in front, but Dumbledore stopped him. "Read it, I'm sure you will find it interesting." His eyes gleamed slightly. "If not, Miss Granger certainly will."  
  
Laughing slightly, Harry tucked the book under his arm, checked the Marauders Map and headed for the common room, the invisibility cloak sweeping over him in the stillness of the night, his head teeming with thoughts of Voldemort, his parents, and the Chasm of Life. Where was it?  
  
He mentally scanned Hogwarts for it while walking back to the common room, which was empty save for two people, a seventh year and Ginny. She smiled up at him, yawning slightly.  
  
"Where've you been?" she asked in a conspiring tone. Checking that the seventh year couldn't hear him, he turned back to Ginny.  
  
"I was meeting Professor Dumbledore," he answered shortly. She raised her eyebrows slightly, a I-know-you're-not-telling-me-everything smile across her face, but she accepted and she bent her head to carry on with her work. Her hair was longer now, and it draped over her head almost reaching the table. Harry stood still, staring for a few seconds, before bidding her goodnight and heading up the stairs, numbly surprised to find that his heart was beating a lot faster than it should have been, and that every thought of Ginny made his stomach lurch as it used to with Cho. 


	16. Christmas at home

Thanks for reviewing so far! I know the story hasn't exactly seemed to be going anywhere just yet but its getting there... to answer babygurl1245, the house was rebuilt by Lupin and Dumbledore, so I'm just cheating a little bit by saying that the painting survived. Thanks though – I do like getting all the comments and feedback and constructive criticism, and I do try to take these into account. Anyways, onto chapter 16...  
  
Chapter 16 – Christmas at Home  
  
The term extinguished itself with a flood of Christmas excitement, accompanied by the largest amount of snow Harry had seen in his entire life. Even the teachers seemed to be struggling to be interested in what they were teaching, with all except for Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall giving them easy, fun lessons.  
  
On the last weekend Harry walked down to the common room in the morning to find Ginny on one sofa, and Ron and Hermione looking very cosy together in front of the fire. He caught Ginny's eye and they both suppressed laughter. Ron looked up at them, blushing deeply, a threatening look on his face. Harry quickly distracted them.  
  
"Fancy a snowball fight today?" he asked, grinning. Ron nodded enthusiastically, and between them they cajoled Hermione, Ginny, and seemingly the entire Gryffindor house to join them. Harry and Ron went ahead, and quickly built up a large wall of snow with a healthy stockpile of snowballs ready behind it. Leaning out from behind the wall, Harry launched one right at Seamus, who was forced to dive to his right to avoid it, causing it to hit Neville in the stomach. Neville grinned ruefully, before throwing one back. The fight had been going several minutes before the two girls arrived, heavily wrapped up in thick cloaks and scarves, and rubbing their hands together to keep warm. Hermione looked up just in time to see Ron's snowball hit her in the face.  
  
Ron watched in horror as his girlfriend fell backwards into the snow as the force of his snowball, (which had only been intended to scare her), knocked her clean off the front steps and onto the snow-matted lawn. Harry watched as Ron leapt up and ran to her, saying he hadn't meant to hit her as Ginny ranted at him for being so cruel. Upon seeing Hermione was ok, Harry and Dean (who was next to him), let out the laughs they had been smothering, but quietly enough so Hermione wouldn't notice. Hermione stormed inside and Ron, shooting a worried look at Harry, followed her.  
  
*  
  
After the snowball fight Harry returned to the common room to find Ron and Hermione by the fire again. Hermione had a red mark just below her eye, which had a slightly angry glint in it, but by the sounds of things she had forgiven him. Harry decided the time was right to raise the idea he had been mulling over for a few days.  
  
"Ron," he said slowly, "where are you spending your Christmas holidays?"  
  
Ron frowned at Harry. "I'm probably going back home, why?"  
  
"Because I've had an idea," Harry said, keeping his tone level, "why don't we all - including your family – spend Christmas at... at my house?" Harry said those last words very quickly. He still hadn't quite accepted Godric's Hollow as being his own house, although he had been given the deed to it already. But the fact of the matter was that he was dying to talk to his parents again, but if it were possible he'd like Ron and Hermione there too. Ron and Hermione both looked at him, startled.  
  
"Are you sure?" Hermione asked quietly. Harry nodded at her, and grin spread itself across Ron's face.  
  
"That'd be a great idea!" he said happily. "Shall I ask my mum?"  
  
"Yeah," said Harry, relieved, "invite your family if you want, we'd need a good cook!" Ron laughed and headed off to the owlery. Harry turned to Hermione. "Would you want your parents to come too?"  
  
Hermione gaped at him. "Could they? Really?" Harry nodded again, and Hermione beamed. "That'd be brilliant! I'll go and write to them right now! Can I borrow Hedwig?"  
  
"Yes of course," he said, drawing a letter out of his pocket, "but could you get her to send this to Lupin too?" Hermione said she would and she ran to catch up with Ron.  
  
*  
  
Both Hermione and Ron received ascension from their parents that they would love to come, with Mrs Weasley also assuring in her letter that she would take care of all the food over the holidays. This meant that when Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny headed for Godric's Hollow, Harry was immensely looking forward to it. The Weasley's, the Granger's and Remus were all coming, and Harry suspected on Christmas day that Dumbledore would show up also.  
  
The four of them pulled small suitcases of winter clothes up through Hogsmeade with them, and arrived outside Godric's hollow to find Mr and Mrs Weasley waiting with Fred and George on the side of the road. Greetings were exchanged all round, and Harry pulled out the bit of paper which had Pettigrew's writing on it. He watched, amused, at the expressions of wonder that soon appeared on each person's face as the house miraculously appeared before their eyes.  
  
"Blimey Harry!" said Fred, echoing Ron's reaction. Harry grinned and led the party, (including the speechless Mrs Weasley), down towards the house, but Mr Weasley stopped him before the door.  
  
"Prepare yourself for a surprise Harry," he said smiling. Harry, puzzled opened the door slowly and walked into the hallway, when suddenly a small object collided hard with his midsection. Harry looked down.  
  
"Dobby?" he said incredulously.  
  
"Harry Potter sir!" Dobby squeaked in reply, "I knew we would meet again sir!"  
  
"What are you doing here?" Harry asked.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore sir, he said me and Winky could come and work for you Sir!" Dobby replied happily. Harry gasped, then smiled at Dobby, before he heard Hermione's voice behind him.  
  
"Winky's here too?" she asked quietly, and at Dobby's nod she continued. "Is she happier now that she will have a family to work for?" In answer, Winky came out, bearing a tray of drinks and biscuits.  
  
"I is much happier now, thank you Miss!" she said, in a tone that they had never heard her use before. Ron took a biscuit and everyone laughed. Dobby ushered everyone into the living room, and then the two house elves moved the suitcases upstairs.  
  
Harry had decided to let Mr and Mrs Weasley sleep in his parent's old room, and that the boys would all sleep in Harry's room. He still hadn't quite figured out where the girls or the Grangers would sleep, when Dobby came in and answered one of his problems for him.  
  
"I have set up a double bed in the east loft room, and two singles in the west loft room sir," he said enthusiastically.  
  
Harry choked on his drink, looking at Dobby. "Loft room?" At Dobby's nod, Harry went upstairs and found, sure enough, a trap door above his head. He reached up and pulled it down, and a staircase slowly descended out of the gap. Harry walked up the stairs and looked around.  
  
He stood in the smallest of corridors, with a patterned window (of a lion) ahead of him looking out into the garden, and a door on each side. He turned to the door on his left, and found inside it a large double bed, with cupboards on both sides. The door on the right was very similar, except with two separate beds rather than one double bed. Harry recognised Ginny and Hermione's suitcases by the beds. He looked out of the window and down into the garden, his mind side-tracked again. Where was the door?  
  
*  
  
With the arrival of Remus and of the Grangers, the run up to Christmas was a very exciting time for Harry. Dobby was in his element, bowing and happily obeying Harry's requests, which were few and far between, especially with Hermione around. Dobby had declined pay, saying he was so happy, but Harry had made sure that Dobby could have time off whenever he had want or need of it.  
  
On Christmas Eve Mrs Granger insisted on cooking the Muggle way, and the evening was a fun filled affair, culminating after the sumptuous dinner with the children having a night time snowball fight, and the adults indulging in some rather silly drunken games. Harry found it particularly funny watching the faces of Ron and Hermione as they watched their parents with more than faint distaste.  
  
On Christmas day Harry woke happily to find Ron up and about to open his presents. Harry had a sudden idea.  
  
"Stop!" he said suddenly. "Take all your presents into the living room, everyone can open theirs together!"  
  
Ron laughed. "Ok," he said and he, Fred and George started to move their presents downstairs.  
  
An hour later, everyone was downstairs busily opening presents. Harry had sent Dobby around to rouse and round up the guests, although most had apparently been awake already. Harry made sure he thanked everyone in person, particularly Remus who's present had been the house. Harry enjoyed hearing Remus' stories about his parents when they had lived here, finding one about Sirius' falling off the roof trying to sneak up on his father particularly amusing.  
  
The afternoon wore on in comfortable idleness, with a leisurely lunch as most were saving themselves for Mrs Weasley's feast in the evening. Ron was moaning loudly to Fred and George constantly all afternoon, with subjects ranging from his maroon jumper to the Cannon's dire form this season. Hermione rolled her eyes at Harry, and moved over to sit next to him by the fire that Dobby had started.  
  
"You know," she said confidentially, "I'm getting fed up of his moaning."  
  
Harry looked at her in surprise. "Really? I thought you two were close."  
  
"Well we are," she said hurriedly, "but I feel... well as I say, I'm getting fed up of moaning. I feel..." she trailed off.  
  
"Like you are less attracted to him?" he said quietly. She nodded. They sat there in silence for a while, this being the first time that they had spoken together about Hermione and Ron's relationship since it had begun. Harry looked across the room at Ron, and then his eyes travelled across to Ginny, who was playing Exploding Snap with George. Hermione followed his gaze, and smiled.  
  
"You like her don't you?" she muttered, so no one else could hear.  
  
Harry thought for a moment. "I don't know," he answered truthfully, "I mean I think I do, but I'm not certain."  
  
Hermione nodded slyly, smiling at Harry, but she didn't push him about it and soon she moved to sit with Ron.  
  
*  
  
That evening, and indeed the rest of the holidays, passed as a blur, one of the happiest times Harry had lived through in his life. Surrounded by friends, no sign of Voldemort, and with a house to call his own, Harry felt things couldn't get much better. And it was then, he started to read the diary.  
  
He didn't know what made him start, but he found himself reading through. The diary began in his mum's fifth year of Hogwarts, her admitting to fancying James way back then, and by the end of the holidays, Harry was reading about his mums reaction to James' proposal. Along with talking to the portrait, this diary made him feel like he almost had his parents back, and he knew that the diary would help sustain him while he was away from the portrait. 


	17. First Success

This ones a bit of a shorty...  
  
Chapter 17 First Success  
  
The term recommenced on a stormy January morning. The weather towards the end of the holidays had been very strange, with near blizzard like conditions switching almost instantly to sunshine. This rapid change of climate had caused the snow to thaw out with incredible speed. This in turn had flooded the lake, and many students had spent their last Sunday of the holidays watching Hagrid and Professor Grubbly-Plank rescuing the giant squid, which had beached itself.  
  
The first lesson seemed to set a tone for the rest of the week, with Professor McGonagall giving a long lecture on the early exams they were sitting at the end of March.  
  
"They are not," she insisted during their lesson, "a part of your final result, but I must impress upon you the importance of these exams in your preparation for your N.E.W.Ts next year."  
  
Hermione was taking a similar tone to the teachers, and was constantly badgering Ron and Harry to do revision with her, and also to use the homework planners she had given them the previous year to organise their revision timetables.  
  
"Come on," said Ron one lunch, exasperated, "the exams are ages off! There only practise exams anyway!"  
  
Hermione was furious at this, and she stalked off without a word, leaving Ron open-mouthed. He made a small attempt at calling her back, but soon desisted when people started looking round, instead returning to his lunch.  
  
*  
  
That evening Harry and Ron headed down to Quidditch practise with Ron looking a bit preoccupied. Harry had called a practise in advance of the Quidditch match in two days time against Hufflepuff, and with his and Ron having their lesson with Professor McGonagall the following night, Harry had scheduled the practise for the night before.  
  
Ron soon shook off his preoccupied air as soon as he took off on his broom, and Harry decided that, to give himself a bit more variation, he would try his hand as a chaser for the day, so they played two on two. Harry sided with Ginny against Lavender and Colin, with both teams trying to score in the one goal. Leanne sided with Ginny and Harry (much to Harry's relief), and soon the game was up and running.  
  
Harry soon was lost in the game and he had a lot of fun. He had noticed he had been more upbeat ever since discovering Godric's Hollow and also, he noted, since he had been spending more time with Ginny. The game was an amusing one, with lots of trick passes, with one particularly memorable move involving Harry throwing the Quaffle up, and Leanne knocking it, with her bludger, to Ginny who had an open goal. Ginny had celebrated by hugging Harry who, without realising it, had hugged her back. Ron shot him an interesting look, one which Harry thought looked like a mix between happiness and confusion. Harry let her go, and after a few awkward moments, the game carried on without further incident.  
  
If Ron had been thinking about what had happened during practise, he didn't mention it that evening. He had managed to pacify things with Hermione, and they now sat together, talking quietly things Harry couldn't hear, although he definitely heard Ginny's name mentioned.  
  
Harry walked slowly up to the empty dorm room, and settled down on his bed. Things with Ginny were great, and he was getting increasingly unsure of what he thought about her...  
  
"She's Ron's sister," he chided himself aloud, very glad that no one was around to hear him.  
  
*  
  
The next day passed strangely, with time seemingly lurching from one moment to the next. One moment Harry was sat in charms listening to Professor Flitwick, next he was sitting in defence against the dark arts after lunch, doing theory preparation for an advanced version of the Impediment jinx. By the end of the day Harry was beginning to feel a bit tired, but he headed down with Ron and Hermione's to Professor McGonagall's office all the same.  
  
They had been practising for two months now, with Ron and Hermione working on their transformation and Harry, having decided to work on just one of the transformations, was working on becoming a Phoenix.  
  
Becoming an Animagi for the first time was an immensely complex thing, involving a combination of an incantation, wand movement and more focus than the Patronus charm. Basically, the first transformation required the person transforming to focus hard on the animal, and imagine being that animal, while flicking their wand up and down once and saying the name of the animal followed by the word "Aniservia."  
  
Ron had his arm out in front of him, his wand waving up and down and his face screwed up in concentration. "Dane Aniservia!" he yelled, but to no avail. He shrugged at Harry, and sat down for a rest.  
  
Harry turned back to Professor McGonagall, who had been helping him.  
  
"You must focus exactly on your animal, Potter," she was saying. "Only when you can feel yourself as a Phoenix will you be able to transform into one."  
  
Harry nodded. He closed his eyes for a moment. "I've got wings," he thought to himself, "I can fly..." He pushed out his wand in front of him and flicked it up and back down. "Phoenix Aniservia!" Harry knew straight away that there would be a change this time, and he felt his arms spread out beside him. His fingers lengthened and flattened out as he felt his skin change into feathers. From his elbows down on each arm, golden-red feathers had sprouted, and Harry heard his wand fall to the floor as the feathers lost grip on it.  
  
"Well done, Potter!" said Professor McGonagall beaming. Ron looked at Harry with an odd look, which he quickly covered with an encouraging smile. Hermione didn't say anything. Professor McGonagall was smiling, looking over his shoulder, and Harry spun around.  
  
Where Hermione had been standing, on one side of the room, there now stood a huge owl. It was still human size, but it was doubtless an owl. Its brown plumage ran smoothly up and down its back, and its wide-eyed face was blinking softly at them. Harry laughed as the owl turned its head right around, before the feathers started to recede and Hermione reappeared there.  
  
Harry beamed at her. "Wow! Well done Hermione!" She blushed, as Professor McGonagall also heaped praise on her, congratulating her on her first success in transformation.  
  
"Don't worry though Miss Granger, you will eventually be able to transform into a normal sized owl, but that was a huge leap you just took. Now that you know how it feels, it will be much easier in future. Now I think that is enough for one evening you three. Good luck with the match tomorrow Potter, lets not lose that Quidditch cup."  
  
Harry, who had forgotten about the Quidditch, felt the excitement building in him as he left the room, and he turned to Ron to see if he looked as excited as Harry felt. But Ron had left the room. Harry looked over at Hermione.  
  
"Where's Ron?" he asked.  
  
"I don't know," Hermione replied, sounding slightly frosty, "but I know he saw me transform as I saw him before I started to turn my head around. Why would he go?"  
  
"I don't know," Harry answered, "but I think we should find out."  
  
They trooped up the stairs together and found Ron sat in an empty common room, looking into the fire. He didn't look up as they entered, but his ears reddened.  
  
"Why did you go?" Harry asked. When Ron didn't answer, Harry sat down opposite him, looking at Ron. "Ron?" he prompted.  
  
"It's just..." Ron began in an edgy voice that bordered on moaning. "I mean, you can both already transform and I'm not even close..." Harry looked straight at Ron, about to join in the sympathetic angle, but Hermione cut in furious.  
  
"IS THAT IT?" she yelled at him. Harry knew Hermione had been building for this for a while. "HARRY AND I ARE SUCCESSFUL IN TRANSFORMING AND YOU MOAN? ALL YOU DO IS MOAN! I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF IT RON! WE'RE FINISHED!" And with that, she stormed up to the girl's dormitories, leaving deafening silence in her wake. 


	18. A Near Miss

Just to clarify, Harry should (if all goes well) be able to transform into all the animals that were listed eventually...  
  
Chapter 18 - A Near Miss  
  
Harry looked over at Ron carefully, not sure how to arrange his face so as to not upset Ron further. Ron had gone chalk white, his body oddly tense, and Harry saw Ron's knuckles go white as his hands gripped tighter and tighter.  
  
"Ron?" he said cautiously. Ron seemed to snap awake for a second, and then he buried his face in his hands.  
  
"I should've known!" he cried. "I've never been positive enough and I was just jealous of you two being able to transform, instead of being happy for you." He hit himself in the head, in a way that reminded Harry forcibly of Dobby. Harry wasn't quite sure what to say, but was spared the decision making by Ron.  
  
"Can I borrow you're cloak Harry? I'm going for a walk." Harry nodded, and returned with Ron to their dormitory, before Ron quickly left. Harry lay back on his bed to sleep before the next day's Quidditch match, but he didn't hear Ron return before he left.  
  
Harry awoke early the next morning to find the skies a dull grey and a harsh wind billowing around the windows of Gryffindor Tower. Harry sat up and looked around. The curtains around Seamus' and Dean's beds were shut, but Ron and Neville's beds were both empty. Harry noticed the sleeve of his invisibility cloak hanging from his suitcase. Yawning slightly, Harry stuffed the sleeve fully into the case, quickly dressed and went down to the common room.  
  
Neville sat by the fire, and opposite him sat Ron. He had huge black bags under his eyes, which contrasted enormously with the rest of his pale white face. Harry instantly knew he had been up all night.  
  
"You all right Ron?" he asked timidly.  
  
"Yeah," he muttered without looking up, his eyes fixed on the floor.  
  
"He's been up all night," said Neville with an uneasy glance at Ron, "maybe he shouldn't be put in for the match?" At this, Ron's head jerked up, and his dry eyes met Harry's.  
  
"No," he said emphatically, "I must play. I need something to take my mind of things. Besides, we don't have a spare keeper." Harry looked from Ron's despairing expression to Neville's one of doubt. Instinct told him playing Ron like this would be a disaster, but he knew he couldn't do it. He nodded at Ron.  
  
"Ok then," he heard himself saying, "but you must have some breakfast. I'm really sorry about last night, but I can't help with that now..." he found himself at a loss for words, but Ron was getting to his feet. They both collected their broomsticks and headed down to breakfast, and they found Hermione there waiting for them. She looked like she had been prepared to fly again at Ron, but one look at his face and her expression changed entirely.  
  
"Oh Ron!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around his shoulders. "I'm s-so sorry Ron, I never wanted to hurt you! It just... wasn't right. I'm sorry!" The last few words were half sobbed into Ron's shoulder, before Hermione ran out of the hall.  
  
Ron watched her go with an odd expression on his face. Harry couldn't tell if it was pity or anger or even a combination of the two, but he didn't say anything about it. Harry guided Ron to his seat, and put some bacon on his plate.  
  
"C'mon Ron," he said quietly, "you've got to eat something." Ron nodded mutely and started to eat his breakfast, although Harry felt sure that Ron wouldn't have noticed if Harry had put a plateful of vomit flavoured Every-Flavour-Beans in front of him. Harry sighed, and sat about eating his own breakfast, before leading Ron down to the changing rooms. The rest of the team were there already, and Harry warned them not to say anything with a small shake of his head behind Ron's back as they changed into their Quidditch robes.  
  
"Ok," he started quietly when everyone was ready, trying to keep his voice easy and level, "we know we can beat Hufflepuff, just play like in training the other day, and we'll win easily. Good luck everyone." He led them down the tunnel and into the stadium.  
  
The weather had not improved. The sky was still a thick, moody grey and the wind whistled around them tauntingly as they walked to the middle of the pitch. But before Harry had a chance to register the looming black cloud that was approaching, he was shaking hands with the Hufflepuff captain, and they were off.  
  
Harry tore upwards on his Firebolt, the sounds of the roaring supporters in his ears and the cold air pounding against his eyes. His hands were soon stiff with cold and he found himself rubbing them together every few minutes. As his eyes peeled around the stadium for the snitch, he looked quickly down at the game below.  
  
It had started well for Gryffindor, who had had all the pressure and were three goals to nil up, but as Harry watched, a yellow Hufflepuff chaser took control of the Quaffle. The Hufflepuff's tore up the pitch with it, but Leanne hit a bludger at the chaser with the Quaffle, knocking out of his hand. But before Harry could breathe a sigh of relief, he realised it had fallen into the hands of a second chaser, who was tearing towards Ron's goals.  
  
"Come on Ron!" Harry found himself yelling. The chaser took aim and threw at the left-hand hoop, but easily within Ron's reaching range. However, Ron only made a feeble attempt at getting the Quaffle and it soared past him and through the hoop.  
  
Harry, along with about a hundred other Gryffindors, groaned to himself. Turning around again, he set off in search of the snitch, but always aware of what was going on in the game below him.  
  
It wasn't looking good. Twenty minutes later, Harry still hadn't seen sight of the snitch, and Ron was playing awfully. He was tired and was totally preoccupied with thoughts of the previous night to even notice the foray of goals going past him. Indeed, Gryffindor were still only in the game due to some great bludger work from Jack and Leanne, and also from the goals scored by the Gryffindor chasers. But, with Ron not saving a single shot, Harry knew that soon they would be out of range even if he caught the snitch.  
  
With the scores at 200 – 120 to Hufflepuff, Harry was getting desperate. He was racing around the stadium frantically searching for the snitch, in the now pouring rain. The black cloud had settled itself over the stadium, and Harry decided to use the Impervious charm on his glasses, just as Hermione had in their third year.  
  
Looking around in the rain, he could see the Hufflepuff seeker also looking for the snitch and then, finally, Harry saw it. It was buzzing softly behind the heads of the back row of Slytherins, (who obviously couldn't hear it), and Harry suspected it had been there a while. Crouching low on his Firebolt, Harry shot towards it. Even above the roar of the rain Harry could hear the Gryffindor supporters cheering him on, as he zoomed above the Slytherin stand. Many hands went up to try and grab him, but he was going to fast. At the last second, the snitch jumped out of his hiding place, but too late: Harry's fingers closed tightly around the struggling snitch, and he felt his chest loosen slightly.  
  
It was over. He heard the roar of the Gryffindor supporters as he flew down to the ground, desperate to talk to Ron. But Ron had left. Harry couldn't see him anywhere as he looked around, but soon he was surrounded by cheering supporters and couldn't leave.  
  
Ron, whom Harry had found upstairs in the dorm after the match, was very quiet for the rest of that week. He and Hermione were on speaking terms again, although neither would look each other directly in the eye while speaking. Harry was trying desperately to make them as it was before, but it hadn't worked. However, he had little time as it was.  
  
The new term had brought with it, for Harry especially, a definite upturn in work. Snape had them working hard on the theory for advance medical potions. Professor Sprout had taken to holding her classes at the edge of the forest to show the class some of the more dangerous plants. Diggory was teaching an advanced form of the Impediment charm ("Impeditia"). Professor Flitwick was working on Apparition theory, and Professor McGonagall was finally working on human transfiguration. On top of all this work, Harry had his Occlumency lessons with Snape still going, (although Snape had grudgingly hinted that Harry was getting a lot better), and his lessons with McGonagall and Dumbledore.  
  
With Professor McGonagall, Harry had (to his disappointment) not improved any further beyond what he had done, save for making a beak sprout out of his nose also. Hermione on the other hand was almost perfect, although she was still a bit too big for an owl, and couldn't fly. Ron had also made progress, and he was now able to cover his arms in fur and turn his feet into paws.  
  
However, it was his lessons with Dumbledore that Harry was struggling with the most. He had been learning the theory and Dumbledore had said that Harry would have to try it out soon on an animal. With this in mind, Harry approached his next lesson with a great feeling of trepidation and anxiety, and all too soon, he found himself facing Dumbledore outside the entrance to his office. 


	19. The fate of a mouse

Chapter 19 - The fate of a mouse  
  
"Good Evening, Harry," Dumbledore said quietly.  
  
"Good Evening Professor," Harry said slowly. Dumbledore had not met him downstairs since the first meeting, but before Harry could raise the question, Dumbledore had turned and had climbed onto the revolving staircase. Harry stepped up onto the stairs, and then followed Dumbledore into the office.  
  
The first thing Harry registered was a large object on the desk, over which a sheet was draped. Dumbledore sat down behind his desk, indicating Harry to sit opposite, before pulling the sheet. Harry's insides turned over as he looked inside the cage and saw a small, brown mouse scuttling up and down, around the cage. He looked sharply up at Dumbledore, who was looking very sombre.  
  
"Professor..." Harry started, his voice shaking, "Is that... am I... already?"  
  
"I am afraid we must test to see if you can perform the spell," Dumbledore answered sadly. "Do you understand the theory?" Harry nodded.  
  
He had been reading up on the killing curse since that first meeting, and now understood how to perform the curse, but he had never wanted to. The Avada Kedavra curse required the person performing the curse to be able to honestly believe the world would be better without the person or creature they were killing. Then they had to swish the wand straight down, facing the victim and yell the words "Avada Kedavra". Harry did not think he would be able to reach the required state of mind, and he voice this concern to the headmaster.  
  
Dumbledore seemed to have already considered this fact, for he had an answer ready. "I want you to imagine that the mouse sitting in the cage would, in the future, be responsible for the deaths of someone close to you." Harry looked straight at Dumbledore.  
  
"You want me to imagine that this mouse would, in future, kill Ron, or Hermione?" he asked incredulously.  
  
"Or Miss Weasley," Dumbledore added. Even at this time, Harry felt himself go slightly red, but looking at the headmaster, he could see no glint in his eye. Harry sat back in his chair and closed his eyes. He tried to imagine Ron dead, and the image of Mrs Weasley over Boggart-Ron's body, and he opened his eyes. He swished the wand straight down at the mouse.  
  
"Avada Kedavra!" he yelled. There was nothing, no blinding green flash, no sense of foreboding and certainly no death. The only change appeared to be the mouse's apparent shock at being yelled at.  
  
"What did you try then Harry?" said Dumbledore. Harry explained about finding Mrs Weasley and the Boggart, and Dumbledore shook his head sadly. "The poor woman," he said quietly, "bless her she never told me. As to your spell, it didn't work because you were only imagining the death of your friend, not the anger at the person who caused it."  
  
Harry nodded, and closed his eyes again. He could see in his mind the picture of Ron dead in his head, and he tried to imagine the mouse somehow causing it. He couldn't help but grin when an image of the mouse holding a wand came into his mind.  
  
"Something funny, Harry?" said Dumbledore in an amused tone, though the smile did not reach to his eyes. Harry muttered an apology and closed his eyes for the third time.  
  
He imagined that the mouse was Peter Pettigrew this time. He imagined Pettigrew killing Ron, and then transforming into the mouse in front of him. He opened his eyes, which were blazing vivid green, and with a thrill of foreboding he recognised, he swished his wand down.  
  
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" he shouted. There was a near blinding flash of green light and Harry saw the mouse in the cage crumple and lay still. Harry sat back, horrified, breathing hard, and there was silence in the office. Harry put his head into his hands. "What have I done?" he muttered to himself. Dumbledore heard.  
  
"Try not to be upset Harry," he reassured him, "you did what you had to. I know now you will be able to do what is needed, and you need not ever do it apart from then." Dumbledore's voice was grave, but he sounded, to Harry at least, a bit relieved.  
  
"So - I won't need anymore lessons?" Harry asked, trying to keep the self- loathing he was feeling out of his voice.  
  
"No," Dumbledore answered simply. "Don't get angry with yourself Harry. The pain you are feeling shows how true of spirit you are. I know it is hard, but you must try and accept and move on from tonight." Dumbledore seemed to sense that Harry needed a bit more emotional support, for he finished with a final sentiment. "Your father would have felt the same way."  
  
Harry nodded, and he stood up. With a small attempt at a half smile and a muttered, "Thanks," Harry made his solitary way out of the office, and back through the deserted castle. He found the common room deserted, and he didn't tarry there long, before heading back up to bed, though he did not sleep for a long time.  
  
Harry spent the next few weeks quietly appalled with what he had done. He had not told Ron and Hermione, but he thought from his behaviour they probably knew anyway.  
  
Ron and Hermione were now back on plain speaking terms, and were becoming close again. Harry wasn't sure if they were going to get back together or not, but he was certainly glad that he didn't have to force conversation out of the two of them. This was especially good as it was hard enough to bring himself to the point of conversation, considering how he was feeling. It was also a bonus that Ron seemed to be making a concentrated effort to stop moaning.  
  
During lessons Harry was often distant, but none of the teachers, not even Snape, seemed to either notice or do anything about it. He was not called upon to be in front of the class, and was not told off if he didn't respond to an instruction. Harry was sure that Dumbledore had told the teachers to do this, and he felt grateful to Dumbledore for that.  
  
All he could think about, was the horrible guilt. It was gnawing at him like he was being eaten from the inside. Every thought, moment, day, he was constantly in a depressed state, walking slowly from one lesson to the next, before isolating himself in the common room in the evenings.  
  
But a few days after his evening with Professor Dumbledore, none other than Ginny Weasley forced Harry back out of his guilt.  
  
"Come with me Harry," she said, in an almost angry voice. Harry got up sullenly, and followed her unquestioningly out of the common room and round into an empty classroom. She turned to face him, her hands on her hips and face a bit red.  
  
"Harry," she said angrily, "You've got to snap out of this. Ron and Hermione told me what you're upset about, and I understand. But you can't let guilt run your life Harry! You did what you had to do, nothing more, nothing less." She trailed off, and her voice became a lot softer and sadder. "Come back to us Harry."  
  
Harry looked up, and saw the sadness in her face. Tears shimmered in her eyes, and she was struggling to hold her previously angry pose. Harry felt another rush of emotion; was it more guilt, or something else? He wasn't sure. But he was sure she was right.  
  
"I'm sorry Ginny," he murmured quietly, and that seemed to be enough for her. She walked forwards and hugged him, before they both returned to the common room, Harry desperately trying not to fall back into his own guilt. Ginny's right, Harry thought, I only did what I had to. And on that thought, Harry settled down to play some wizards chess with Ron, who seemed very relieved to have Harry back to normal, though he was looking very shrewdly at Ginny. She just smiled at him, and left them to the game, which culminated in Ron asking for a draw as both were reduced to three pieces.  
  
January flowed reluctantly into February, which brought with it the end of the snow, and more revision. As Hermione kept insisting the exams were only a month and a half away, and Harry and Ron found themselves night after night, sitting by the fire in the Gryffindor common room. The teachers had slowed up the homework in terms of essays, but each was insisting on several hours per week of revision and study of their subject. Harry had all but abandoned Quidditch practises, and he had postponed the reforming of the D.A, (which Hermione had decided on), until after their exams.  
  
The D.A, (or Dumbledore's army to give it it's full name), had been a secret society where Harry taught defence against the dark arts in their fifth year, while they had been taught by Professor Umbridge. Professor Umbridge had been a ministry witch who had been widely regarded as the most evil teacher in school. (Harry had even thought about placing her higher than Snape in his personal teacher hating hierarchy). Harry had decided to teach some of the lower students the "Impeditia" spell they had learnt with Professor Diggory, while he worked with the sixth years on a more advanced version of the banishing charm, called the "Fetworth" charm after its creator. (Harry had found this spell whilst looking up hexes for the first task of the Triwizard Tournament in his fourth year, but had not had to use it before).  
  
There was one thing, however, that Harry was still making sure to do, even amongst all his revision. This was to read his mum's diary. He had, the previous night, read up to the point of buying Godric's Hollow, and he had just read the diary entry for the day before moving in.  
  
It was, therefore, with slight trepidation that Harry went upstairs later that evening, and settled himself in his bed. He propped himself up on the pillow, opened the book in his lap, and started to read.  
  
"4th of June. Baby due – 9 weeks We have just moved in! It is very exciting, as we have had Sirius, Remus and Peter around to help James move stuff in. With their help we were done very quickly, and I used my lovely new kitchen to make them all a big lunch as a reward.  
The speed of moving in has meant that we have had a chance to examine the garden more thoroughly, something I did not have time for while we were first looking at the house. It is beautiful at the moment, just perfect, and I'm sure that the baby will love growing up here. James and I were intrigued by a door we found, which led a little way underground and ended up in a small, hollowed out room. We found nothing in there, and I think James is planning to have a secret room down there for card games with his friends. I will certainly not allow that! I will make it a shrine to the baby or something much nicer than a cards room!  
The baby is due in just over two months now! James is getting a bit restless I think, though at least worries for the baby and the moving into the house has at least taken his mind off Voldemort. EXTRA NOTE: After going up into the attic to try and find my missing cutlery set, I found out something interesting. If you are looking out of the stained glass window and line up the eye of the Lion with the top of the tree at the bottom of the garden, the by looking directly through end of the lions tale, the secret door is visible! I wonder if that is just coincidence?"  
  
Harry looked up from his reading, breathing fast. So that was where this secret door was, and Harry's mind was set. There was a Hogsmeade visit next weekend, and he would be sneaking off to the house to try to find the secret door. 


	20. The Secret Door

Ok, the next few chapters will be short and sweet, but they'll be updated in rapid succession probably...  
  
Chapter 20 - The secret door  
  
The week seemed to pass very slowly to Harry. He was willing the weekend on, with the lack of Quidditch or worries about Voldemort, Godric's Hollow had become his primary concern.  
  
He had spoken to Ron straight away about the door, but Ron had insisted upon not telling Hermione, saying that he wasn't still back on old terms again with her. This threw Harry a little bit, who thought they had been getting on better, but he didn't raise the issue.  
  
Harry and Ron had immediately decided to go and find the door at Godric's Hollow on the Valentines Day Hogsmeade weekend that was coming up. Harry also decided to bring with him the diary itself, but not his invisibility cloak. When Ron asked about this on the way downstairs to the entrance hall, Harry was quick to respond.  
  
"Because I don't think we're doing anything wrong," Harry answered, "and I don't want to be dragging the cloak around all day."  
  
"But how will we avoid Hermione?" Ron asked. Harry looked up at him quizzically.  
  
"We're not trying to avoid Hermione are we?" he asked. Ron just looked at the floor and evaded the question. They walked down to where Filch was signing off the long lists of names, and Harry saw Cho Chang. He remembered vividly the events of a year ago, when he and Cho had gone to Hogsmeade together, which had culminated with Cho storming off in a mood. He smiled sadly to himself, but quickly hid this from Ron as the two of them exited the castle.  
  
Harry and Ron were both eager to get to Godric's Hollow, and they walked quickly up the high street towards Harry's house. Harry exchanged a glance with Hermione, who was leaving The Three Broomsticks with Parvati, but he didn't mention it to Ron, who hadn't spotted her.  
  
Upon reaching Godric's Hollow, Harry and Ron headed straight upstairs, only stopping briefly for Harry to say hello to the portrait of his parents. They reached the top landing and Harry open the diary to the required page.  
  
"It says that we need to line up the eye of the lion with the tree at the bottom of the garden," he told Ron allowed. Harry squatted down and lined himself up. He glanced back over the final words to that diary entry, and then he looked through the end of the tail of the lion, which was arched over the lion's back like a scorpion's tale.  
  
And there it was. Harry could see it clearly now, it was hidden behind one of the trees Harry was sure he had searched behind. He laughed with relief and, after marking the spot exactly with his eyes, he let Ron have a look.  
  
"See it?" Harry asked, grinning. Ron frowned for a moment, and then his face broke into a smile and he nodded at Harry. They both quickly went downstairs, through the kitchen, and out the door into the back garden. The day was a clear one, with no wind to speak of, and Harry and Ron took very little time in locating the door now they knew where it was.  
  
The door itself looked very old. It was made of wood, (which Harry suspected had some sort of anti-decay charm on it), and had an imposing metal frame. The frame was a dull, grim grey colour, and was made of the same metal that made the handle on the door. Behind the door was a slope of mud that reached up from the floor to the top of the door. Harry reached out a hand, turned the handle and pulled.  
  
Instantly he and Ron recoiled, so great was the musty smell that emerged out of the tunnel. It had obviously not been opened in many years, and Harry doubted whether even Dumbledore knew of its existence. Lowering his hand from his nose, Harry sniffed the air gingerly, before stepping towards the door again. Pushing the door wider open, Harry could see what was behind it.  
  
Directly in front of him was a long tunnel, which was sloping steeply downwards. The tunnel sides were held up by old wooden beams that looked very frail to Harry, but the thick packed mud on either side of tunnel was held firmly in place.  
  
"Lumos," Harry muttered, and his wand tip sent a narrow beam of light down the tunnel. "C'mon," he muttered to Ron, before setting off down the tunnel.  
  
It was a fairly long tunnel. Every now and again it would veer off to one side, or plunge ever deeper into the ground, before levelling off again. After what felt like hours, the tunnel levelled off completely, and Harry could see ahead of him another door. It was exactly the same as the first door. With a glance at Ron, Harry turned the knob, pushed the door open, and entered the room.  
  
His mother had obviously won. Harry looked around him as the entire walls were covered with baby photos. Harry watched as he, (as a baby), was held by his mother, waved at the camera and walked for the first time.  
  
There was a table and chair on one side of the small chamber, and Harry sank down into it. He looked at the pictures of himself, and somehow was shocked by the lack of scar on all of them. Of course he knew that there wouldn't be one, but he had never really thought about it. Ron made his excuses, ("It's too hot in here,") so he could leave Harry to himself, and Harry was grateful for this.  
  
So this was what it looked like to belong to his family. There were some other pictures without Harry in one, and Harry spent a lot of time looking particularly at these.  
  
He watched in one as his father zoomed around a field on a broomstick. He truly was a great player, ducking and diving around the field and around the trees surrounding it. Harry watched in astonishment as his father actually traced the line of one of the longer branches at top speed on his broom, and not dislodge a single pine cone.  
  
In another, Harry watched his father, Sirius and Remus sitting around in the living room playing what Harry recognised as Gobstones, and Sirius especially was covered in the inky substance that came from the objects in this game.  
  
He spent about ten or so minutes looking at these photos. It truly felt very strange to be amongst something created solely by his parents, (the house had been restored by Dumbledore so still didn't feel the same), and he wasn't sure quite how he was going to react. But then, as he turned towards to the door to go and find Ron, he noticed something.  
  
Hidden behind the door, which Ron had closed behind him, were some ancient looking markings. Harry couldn't quite make out what they were, and so he used the sleeve of his robe to brush off the cobwebs. A few moments later, he looked back to admire what was beneath the cobwebs, and he gasped.  
  
On the walls were some runes. The twisted and snaked up and down the wall, but they were unmistakably familiar to Harry. He had seen them only once before, and he knew exactly what they were. They were the runes he had seen in a book called "The Four Founders" in Dumbledore's office, each representing a number. He got out that book and found the page, before pressing each of the runes in order. He stepped back, as the wall behind the door slid sideways into a gap, leaving before it a thin opening. Harry stood staring at it. The creation of Godric Gryffindor. The entrance to the chasm of life. 


	21. The Chasm Of Life

Chapter 21 – The Chasm of Life  
  
"Lumos," Harry muttered. He directed the narrow beam of light down the tunnel, and peered down it. It was much darker then the original tunnel, and looked like it hadn't been used in centuries. Torches hung from brackets on the sides of the tunnel, though they were unlit and strewn with cobwebs and mud. Harry gingerly lit one, and the tunnel was thrown into a much stronger light. Harry could see that, further down the tunnel, there was a wooden sign, leering dangerously off the wall.  
  
Harry considered for a moment going back to get Ron, but he decided not too. He walked down the tunnel, and up to the signpost. It had similar markings on it to the numbered runes at the entrance, but Harry had no idea what these ones meant. But before Harry could do anything, the sign fell from the wall and landed with a thud on the floor just in front of Harry. Harry picked it up, went back up the tunnel and put it on the desk, before going back down the tunnel.  
  
Even though he was lighting the torches as he went, Harry seemed to find himself enveloped in thick, musty darkness, and he kept shooting nervous glances back down the lit tunnel behind him. The tunnel had stopped its snaking ways, and was now levelling out into a long straight corridor. Harry had no idea how far he was underground, or even roughly what would be directly above him, but he kept moving. As he edged down the tunnel, he saw an opening up ahead.  
  
Upon reaching it, Harry looked around at a large chamber. It was several times bigger then the first room that he had been in, and Harry could tell it was at least a thousand years old. Eerie runes covered the walls and ceiling, shimmering in a twisted golden colour. In the centre of the room Harry could see a large table, which had a cobweb-strewn cauldron next to it. He went to the table, and looked at the cauldron, and found two words he had seen on another object before: "Godric Gryffindor".  
  
Harry looked around in wonder as he realised what this place must be; Godric Gryffindor's experimental chamber, where he worked on his theory that time could be manipulated. He had pioneered the investigations that had eventually led to the discovery of the time turner, like that which Hermione had used in their third year. (Harry knew this because he had read further into the book about Godric Gryffindor's experiments).  
  
Harry looked around him and saw a long thing gap in the wall, about a foot above his head height. As he peered up through it, he could see a small platform emerging from the wall further along. He whipped around and saw what he knew would be there, a sloping passage leading off out of the chamber. Harry ran up to it, and followed it quickly as it went around, tracing the edge of the chamber, before the path rose up slightly, and emerged out on the platform Harry had seen a few moments before. Harry gasped.  
  
The Chasm of Life. It was larger than Harry could ever have imagined; a huge gaping, plummeting crevasse that fell to immeasurable depth below where Harry stood, and which vaguely resembled an enormous well. Harry could not conceive the amount of magic power that could have created such a monstrous chasm.  
  
As Harry stood there, looking down into the bottomless pit beneath him, he felt something he would not have thought possible this far underground. It started off as a light breeze, which rippled through his untidy black hair, but soon it had grown into this monster, a small hurricane that whirled around him. Harry yelled as he was lifted off the ground and brought up into the air directly above the pit. His heart was hammering, he felt sweat on his forehead, as he swung his head from side to side – what if the wind stopped? He felt its power coursing around him, and somehow through him. Harry did not know how, but he knew that the magical energy from this sacred place was entering him, that its power was filling him.  
  
But before Harry could say anything, a commanding, booming voice emerged from the depths of the maelstrom around him.  
  
"What is your name, heir of Gryffindor?" It said loudly. Harry looked around him for the voice, where was it coming from? "It does not matter where I am," the voice answered his unasked question, "what is your name?" it repeated.  
  
"Harry Potter," Harry said quietly, "and who are you?"  
  
The voice let out a laugh, which echoed with power around the cavernous chamber. "My voice is that of Godric Gryffindor, but I am not he," it answered cryptically, and Harry puzzled over the voice as it spoke. "So now, heir of Gryffindor, you have entered the chasm of life. Here time does not flow, it fluctuates, between past, present and future. You may go to any one time that you wish to go to."  
  
Before Harry thought about this, an overwhelming thought struck him. Time, he was speaking to time...  
  
"Yes, Harry," the voice agreed approvingly, "I am indeed, time. I have watched you, and all others for centuries, but now is not the time for story telling. I already know which time you would like to visit. You wish to meet your parents, correct?"  
  
Harry looked around him, as he nodded his head. "Very well," the voice said, and suddenly the maelstrom intensified. Harry clutched his wand tightly as around him the hurricane spun ever faster, until it took on a shimmering silvery grey colour like the contents of a penseive, and he could not see the platform behind him. All around him Harry could feel time itself, centuries of the past and future, whispers of memories that were not his, but some that were.  
  
It was like being put under legilimens. Harry watched in the silvery substance himself in the graveyard surrounded by Voldemort, then by the whomping willow with a werewolf fighting a dog, then a bludger chasing him around the quidditch stadium, and then a huge three headed dog sleeping peaceful over a trap door...  
  
And then Harry understood. As the noise rose in a crescendo around him, Harry realised that time was trying to find itself, travelling backwards from the present towards when his parents were alived.  
  
But just before the roaring around him became deafening, it slowed down to a stop, and Harry peered hard into the mist, which was starting to clear. Along way off, he thought he could see two shapes, walking ever closer to where Harry was.  
  
I'm going to meet my parents, Harry thought, and suddenly he found himself totally speechless. What would he say? They were almost there, Harry could almost make out their eyes from the silhouettes that were approaching, like shadows through time. However, before he could even think about what he would say to them, he heard a scream.  
  
Harry spun around. He couldn't see anyone on the platform behind him, but as he looked around, he heard the girls scream again, and he turned to look through the small gap into the experimental chamber, and he felt his heart stop.  
  
Ginny was stood there, screaming, backing towards the wall, as a monster bared down on her. 


	22. The Chimaera

Chapter 22 - The Chimaera  
  
The voice boomed at Harry. "If you leave, you will not be allowed back, Harry Potter!" Harry felt as though an ice cube had slipped into his stomach, but he had made up his mind. He wasn't quite sure how he did it, but he managed to throw himself out of the swirling vortex of time, and he landed, sprawled on the platform. Looking back, he saw the dark figures dissolve into the air, no trace of them being left inside the maelstrom that was time.  
  
The Hurricane kept going, roaring at Harry, who came to his senses and turned around. He ran as fast as he could down the small path that was between the platform and the chamber, and as he came in, he was a breathtaking, horrifying sight.  
  
Ginny was screaming, the monster had lifted her into the air above its head, and she was twisting and kicking at it. The monster hadn't seen Harry, and it pulled Ginny away from the torch on the wall that she had been clinging to, and she fell to the floor. This also had the effect of throwing the monster into sharp relief.  
  
It was huge. Its lion head let out a savage roar, as its vicious dragon tail whipped through the air like a deadly sword. Its body was in the form of a goat, and the creature reared backwards, preparing to pounce at Ginny. It was a Chimaera.  
  
Harry leapt forwards. "Impeditia!" he yelled. The Chimaera, who had been up on two legs, was knocked straight over onto its side. "Ginny, run!" Harry yelled at her, helping her up as he put himself between him and the monster.  
  
The Chimaera staggered to its feet, the effect of the charm having worn off alarmingly quickly, and it looked around for who had attacked it. Upon seeing Harry, it let out a deafening roar that sent a shiver down Harry's spine, and it dived at Harry. Harry tried to move, but too late, the lion's head crashed into his shoulder, knocking him onto the floor. He whirled around and stood up, as the Chimaera charged again.  
  
This time he was quick enough. He dived to one side and the Chimaera smashed into the wall behind him with terrifying force, enough indeed, to dislodge many rocks from the ceiling above. One of the larger ones came crashing down by the exit to the chamber, separating Harry from Ginny, who was screaming behind the rock.  
  
Harry looked around as the Chimaera tried to extricate itself from the wall. He couldn't keep diving out the way all the time, and as he looked around his eyes fell upon the path leading up to the platform. Through the small gap he could still see the swirling hurricane whipping around in the chasm of life, although it had started to slow. He knew it was his only hope.  
  
As finally the Chimaera managed to pull itself free, Harry hid behind the table, and aimed at a point in the wall by the path.  
  
"Reducto!" he whispered. But it didn't work, and instead of the spell distracting the monster by making a small explosion, it bounced backwards, and hit the table that Harry was hiding behind.  
  
The table exploded in a cloud of dust, and the Chimaera let out an enraged roar, and charged at Harry again.  
  
"Impeditia!" Harry yelled, and once again the Chimaera was knocked backwards off its feet. "Ginny go! Get out!" Harry shouted at her, she had to run, didn't she get it? Harry circled around the monster, desperately trying to lure it away from Ginny and towards the platform. Harry knew he was using himself as bait, knew it would be almost impossible to lure the Chimaera into the vortex without throwing himself in too, but still he did it.  
  
He edged his way towards the path that left the chamber, the Chimaera's bright red eyes tracking him every step.  
  
"C'mon," Harry muttered, "C'mon..." Harry had done this once before, against a dragon in his fourth year, but without his Firebolt, he knew it would be much harder. He carefully walked backwards towards the path – and he knew he would have to make sure the Chimaera followed him around the corner. He aimed carefully at one of the torch brackets behind the monster.  
  
"Engorgio!" He cried. The torch started to swell up, the Chimaera turned around and reared away from the ever-growing flame, it put out its hoof- like feet in a desperate, futile attempt at putting the fire out, but still it was backing away from the flame, towards Harry.  
  
"Reducto!" Harry bellowed, and the torch exploded in a cloud of sparks. The Chimaera turned to face Harry, its eyes blazing with rage, and it took off after him. Harry turned and sprinted back up the path to the platform, and he turned around as the Chimaera rounded the corner and faced him. It ran its hoof along the floor much like an enraged bull. Its eyes were gleaming with a mad hatred that Harry had never seen before, such burning desire to kill, and Harry felt truly afraid. His shaking hand held his wand out in front of him, as the Chimaera bent its back legs, ready to spring.  
  
And then it happened. The evil monster sprang towards Harry, who dived out of the way at the last second. Harry hit the wall, and his head exploded with pain, but he turned around, as he saw the Chimaera desperately trying to skid to a halt. It stopped, teetering on the edge of the platform, and Harry pulled out his wand again, and took careful aim at the back of the Chimaera.  
  
"Fetworthia!" He bellowed. It was the advanced form of the banishing charm that Harry had learnt with Professor Diggory, and it charged with a howling of noise into the back of the Chimaera. The Chimaera let out a roar as its feet left the ground, and it flew into the hurricane.  
  
For a few seconds Harry watched the Chimaera spinning, roaring in enraged confusion, and the howling hurricane intensified. Harry back away from the edge of the platform, which started to crumble and fell inwards, as from somewhere inside the maelstrom a piercing, blinding light erupted. Harry covered his eyes, trying to ignore the burning pain he felt inside his head, before slowly turning back. He held a hand above his head so he could see a bit better.  
  
The Chimaera was still inside the vortex, though the light was coming from inside it. Like in the Ministry of Magic, Harry watched time flow, as the Chimaera shrank downwards, into a baby Chimaera, into an egg, then back out of the egg. All the while the roaring continued, although it ranged from a high pitched squeal of the baby to the deafening, full-blown roar of the adult.  
  
Harry could only watch in horror, as the Chimaera's roar became one of pain, is body separated into its three sections. The tail was dragged around the hurricane like some lethal flail, and the roaring had abruptly ceased.  
  
After a few seconds of foreboding silence, there was an ear-splitting explosion from inside the hurricane. The Chasm of Life was collapsing. 


	23. Out Of The Rubble

Chapter 23 - Out of the rubble  
  
Harry felt himself being flung backwards as the force of the explosion knocked him clean off his feet, and back down the path behind him. He landed a few metres from the top of the platform, which had started to crumble downwards into the chasm. Harry watched as they fell into the maelstrom, but he never heard them land.  
  
The hurricane had become totally erratic in its movements, and was now not spinning as a normal one would, but as if it had flipped onto its side. Harry could see down the length of it as it crashed into the walls, rocks started to fall downwards into the chasm, and Harry jumped just in time to avoid a large boulder which had managed to be thrown onto the path. Harry turned around, and ran into the chamber behind him.  
  
Rocks were falling freely from the roof, and Harry had to pirouette in mid air to avoid one particularly jagged rock as it threatened to pierce his shoulder. Harry leapt over the boulder, which had blocked the exit, grabbed Ginny and ran.  
  
His arm helping Ginny ahead of him the whole time, Harry ran as fast as he could up the tunnel. His legs were starting to feel dead, but they both knew that if they stopped, the tunnel that was collapsing behind them would crush them.  
  
"Ginny, look out!" Harry yelled, as ahead of them a stray rock had knocked off a torch bracket. It fell with a shower of sparks at Harry's feet; he let out a cry of pain but he kept running. He leapt on to catch up with Ginny, who had got away from him by a few metres, and managed to just push her out of the way of a falling beam.  
  
Harry shot a glance behind him and quickly put on an extra burst of speed and edged Ginny into the chamber with photos. The end nearly in sight, Harry pushed her out of the door, and they both ran up, up and away from what was left of the chasm of life.  
  
The rocks continued to fall behind them, and finally, up ahead, Harry could see daylight. He picked Ginny up, and held her tightly as he dived out of the front of the tunnel, as behind them the roof of the tunnel fell inwards. Harry span around in mid air and they landed sprawled on the floor. Upon realising they were safe, Ginny climbed off Harry and flopped down next to him on the dew-covered Valentines day grass. Harry sat upright.  
  
The carnage that had been the Chasm of Life was huge in the garden, but seemed to disappear somewhere. It appeared that the Chasm must have actually been below the mountain in which Sirius had hidden in Harry's fourth year, and although the explosion had been ear splitting, it had not been large enough to shake the mountain.  
  
The garden itself however, was a total shambles. A deep rift now ran into the ground, and several trees had fallen down. Luckily for Harry, none had fallen near the house, and there seemed to be nothing that wasn't fixable in the garden. Ginny made a small noise of pain, and Harry turned his head slightly to look at her.  
  
"Are you all right?" he said breathlessly, finally being able to relax on the floor. She nodded equally breathlessly, rubbing her head with one hand.  
  
"Just a small knock I think," she replied, wincing slightly. Harry crawled around behind her, and put his hands gently through her hair.  
  
"There's no bleeding," he said, running his hands through her shimmering red hair. Harry had never truly noticed before that Ginny's hair was a slightly lighter colour then her brothers, or maybe it was just the sunlight. He asked her about it, as he sat down beside her again, and she let out a satisfied gasp.  
  
"No ones ever noticed that before!" she murmured, in a slightly excited voice.  
  
"Oh..." Harry muttered, blushing and looking away, "I expect its just because I spend so much time with Ron that I can tell the difference when I look up close."  
  
Silence fell for a moment, which Ginny broke. "Thanks Harry," she said.  
  
"What for?" Harry asked, puzzled.  
  
"For saving my life," Ginny answered simply, "again." She looked at him and blushed, before looking down at the floor. "That was really brave, what you just did. You took on a Chimaera, for... for..."  
  
Harry looked at her for a second, and in that eternal moment, he knew exactly what he felt for the girl next to him, and he knew how to finish that sentence for her.  
  
"For you," he said simply. His arms were hanging limply by his sides, not quite sure whether to reach out or not, but his bright green eyes met hers as she looked up. They stared at each other for a moment.  
  
"Harry..." Ginny started softly, "I... I love you!" Harry felt his face broaden into a smile and he somehow knew what to do. He put his arms around her and pulled her into the most wonderful embrace he had ever shared, and he felt something he knew was different from how he felt about Cho. But Cho didn't matter anymore...  
  
They sat like that for many minutes, just – just together. The sun was getting lower in the sky and the remaining trees were casting longer and longer shadows. The two of them sat to watch the sunset behind the mountain.  
  
"Ginny," Harry started curiously, "where's Ron?"  
  
Ginny smiled teasingly. "I don't know, but I came here with Hermione, and I can see no sign of her either..." she laughed slightly, and Harry thought he had never appreciated what a lovely sound that was. "She still loves Ron, I think." Ginny said quietly.  
  
Harry nodded. "He hasn't moved on either," he said matter-of-factly, "d'you reckon they'll get back together?"  
  
"Oh I'm sure of it," Ginny replied in no uncertain terms, "But I do wonder what Ron will think about us..." she trailed off and leaned back against Harry's shoulder. Harry put an arm around her waist to support her.  
  
"I don't know," said Harry, "but he never seemed to mind when you were... err..."  
  
"A bit nervous around you?" Ginny asked, mockingly. Harry nodded, blushing, and then laughed along with Ginny. He then eased to his feet, pulling Ginny gently up with him.  
  
"I think we better head back," he said quietly, his arms around her waist. She nodded, but she made no move to leave. She leaned upwards slightly, and kissed him softly.  
  
"What was that for?" Harry asked, pleasantly surprised to find that, unlike the last person who had kissed him, she wasn't crying.  
  
"For being Harry Potter," she said mockingly. "I wonder what Ron would say at seeing that?"  
  
"Let's go and find out shall we?" Harry asked. They turned and walked hand in hand down the empty Hogsmeade street, the sun sending a cascade of subtle colours shooting across the sky above. Harry looked up at it, smiling. It had been an interesting day. 


	24. Protected from the start

I'm intrigued; did anyone guess that the chasm of life would be at Godric's hollow?  
  
A small note; this is certainly NOT the end! And a small message to gomababe: Ginny wasn't conscious when the basilisk was there was she? Like the idea though. For the reviews: Hmmm, unlike some of the (lucky) people on this site I find writing romantic scenes much harder than action ones, so I was particularly concerned about what Harry would feel about the situation. I think I covered the worried part with all the moments in previous chapters (such as his chiding himself aloud in his room). As for the resentment, I originally intended to have him feeling quite resentful and for him to get with Ginny only after he had got over those feelings. But I decided instead that at that pivotal moment he would be able to move out of the past to live his own life, especially as he has the portrait and the diary. And as you will see, the explosion was not really noticed.  
  
Chapter 24 - Protected from the start  
  
Ron and Hermione were found in the Three Broomsticks, talking quietly in a corner, but the two or them snapped their mouths shut as soon as Harry and Ginny sat down at the table with them. Hermione uttered a mini scream.  
  
"Harry, what on earth happened to you?" she asked. She way eyeing the cuts and bruises that lined Harry's face and down his arms, and the mud and dust that was covering his hands.  
  
Harry sighed, before explaining all about what had happened since Ron had left the room: how he had found the runes, how he had gone down to the chasm of life, how the hurricane had lifted him up, how he had been about to meet his parents...  
  
"... And then..." he stuttered towards the end of his narrative, "then a Chimaera came and Ginny and I ran out of the chasm as it collapsed," he ended hurriedly.  
  
Ron choked on his Butterbeer. "A Chimaera?" he said so loudly that several people looked around. "Great band that..." he covered quickly, and when the people had turned back to their drinks, he bent low and hissed across the table. "A Chimaera?"  
  
Before Harry could stop her, Ginny was off, talking in great length at how Harry had put himself between her and the Chimaera, and then forced it into the chasm of life. Harry just sat there looking down at his Butterbeer and blushing, as Ginny lavished praise on him. He couldn't help but grin, especially when she gently took his hand in hers. He looked at her and smiled. Hermione gave them an appraising look, and Ron let out a low whistle.  
  
"About time too!" Ron said, grinning. At Harry's amazed look, Ron continued. "I've been trying to get you two together for months! I knew Ginny liked you and, well..." He laughed.  
  
"We thought you liked her too," Hermione said, more to Ginny than to Harry, as if trying to reassure her of this fact.  
  
Harry grinned slightly, before another thought came into his head. "Why weren't you outside Ron?"  
  
Ron shifted a glance at Hermione. "We err... erm..." He trailed off, looking blankly at Hermione, who rolled her eyes.  
  
"We were talking about our friendship, and about how maybe, in the future we could get back together, but not quite yet," she said, casting a furtive look in Ron's direction.  
  
He nodded appreciatively. "Yeah," he agreed, "sorry to leave you Harry, but we had no idea that it would be in anyway dangerous..."  
  
"It's ok," Harry said, "as long as we can stop trying to avoid Hermione now."  
  
Harry laughed as his words sank in, and he sat close to Ginny as they both watched Hermione berate Ron, but all of them knew she wasn't really angry.  
  
After finishing their drinks, the four of them made their way back up towards the castle. The sun had fully set now, and only by the light of the buildings could they make their way back up to the castle. Ginny had her head leant on Harry's shoulder, and he had his arm around her, which made going slow, but infinitely more enjoyable for Harry.  
  
He had never known this sort of feeling before. It was totally different from anything he could have expected, the security, the warm feeling that had been glowing inside him for the last few hours. He would always be able to recall this day when a Dementor came near.  
  
As they entered the castle however, his thoughts were suddenly interrupted, by none other than Albus Dumbledore.  
  
"Good evening, Harry," he said in his deep, amused voice. "I would like to see you in my office," he said quickly, "if you can spare a moment." His eyes wandered onto Ginny, and Harry saw the headmaster's face crinkle into a smile. Harry assured the others that he would be back soon, before following Dumbledore out of the Entrance hall.  
  
"I see you have become rather fond of Miss Weasley," he said quietly. Harry blushed, and Professor Dumbledore let out a soft laugh. "Your feelings are nothing to be ashamed of Harry, so do not be embarrassed if people talk of them. Why let your feelings be ruled by the malcontent of others?"  
  
Harry grinned. "Ok Professor," he agreed. Harry followed Professor Dumbledore up into his office, and sat in the chair opposite the desk, as he had so many times before.  
  
"As you might have guessed," Dumbledore began straightforwardly, "I am here to talk to you about the events of today. I can only guess as to why your garden is suddenly a pile of rubble..." he trailed off, smiling slightly, a familiar glint in his eye.  
  
Harry gave a small laugh, before explaining to Dumbledore, as he had to Ron and Hermione earlier, exactly what had happened that day. As it was Professor Dumbledore he was speaking to, and not Ron and Hermione, he went into a little bit more depth about the Chimaera, and about how it had exploded in the chasm of life. Then he realised something.  
  
"Professor," Harry started slowly, "where did the Chimaera come from? Because there was no other side passages apart from where I stood, at the brink of the chasm..."  
  
Dumbledore sat quiet for a moment. "I would guess," he then said, "that the Chimaera was the protection which Godric Gryffindor left, to ensure that only his heirs could get into or out of the chamber. With Ginny not being an heir, the Chimaera was unleashed from a special, hidden place."  
  
That made sense to Harry, who then realised something so abruptly he felt the weight of it slam onto his shoulders as if something heavy had just been dropped on them. "So I'm the heir of Gryffindor?"  
  
"Yes," Dumbledore answered simply. "I have long suspected that you might be, from the moment the prophecy was made. My suspicions were only increased when you pulled out Godric Gryffindor's sword from the hat. And now we know that "Godric's Hollow" was so called for a reason..." he trailed off, looking at Harry, who was about to ask another question.  
  
"Professor, why did the chasm explode when the Chimaera fell into it?" he said slowly.  
  
"As to that, I can only speculate," said Dumbledore heavily, "but I would guess it was because the chasm of life was also only for the heir of Gryffindor, as he was the one who created the chasm's passage of time. The Chimaera, not being an heir of Gryffindor, must have triggered a magic trap left over the centuries for any that were not in the Gryffindor line."  
  
Dumbledore sat quietly for a minute, admiring his interlocked fingers, and obviously deep in thought.  
  
"Professor?" Harry ventured, wondering what Dumbledore was thinking about.  
  
"Sorry," he said quickly, "I was just thinking about what you were saying about when you were in the chasm of life. You said that you felt some sort of force enter you, something which wasn't the wind, something that you described as "power", is that right?" Harry nodded, unsure as to where this was going.  
  
Dumbledore continued. "I am just wondering Harry, is there any spell you are having difficulty with in lessons? Any thing which you can't quite do?"  
  
Harry sat, taken aback by this question. "Err... yes there is. I can't fully transform into an Animagi."  
  
Dumbledore mused for a moment. "Now that is a very complicated spell, so you may not be able to fully do it... but could you try it again now please?"  
  
Harry stood up, totally confused now, but he pushed those thoughts to one side, and he tried to imagine being a phoenix, with wings and full red plumage.  
  
"Phoenix Aniservia!" he said loudly. And he knew it was different, instantly, he knew he would be making progress. He felt the feathers growing, but not only on his arms now, but also on his legs and body... He was a phoenix. Like Hermione's owl he was still full sized, but without doubt, he was a phoenix. Harry looked around him, his gaze enhanced, and he admired the full red-gold colour that he had taken on. Dumbledore started clapping, and Harry transformed back into his normal self.  
  
"Well done Harry!" said Dumbledore delightedly. "Interesting, very interesting..."  
  
"Sir, what's interesting?" Harry asked, confused.  
  
"It is interesting," Dumbledore began, "that you have seemingly gained magical power through your time in the chasm of life. This has been shown by your sudden improvement in the Aniservia spell. I would go so far as to say that this is not any ordinary magical power. I think that, bearing in mind its creator, the chasm of life is full with the power that Voldemort hates, that power which is in the locked room in the department of mysteries and that power which flows in your veins, Harry. I think the chasm of life is made from the magic of time and love, and also therefore, I think that you will have gained another defence against Voldemort now."  
  
He sat back and was quiet for a moment, still frowning. Harry was silent also, contemplating this news. Dumbledore broke the silence.  
  
"I would venture another guess, Harry," he began, "that the chasm of life has already had a huge effect on your life, even before you knew of its existence. I think it may have saved your life."  
  
Harry's eyes shot up to meet Dumbledore's. "How?" he asked abruptly, wondering how on earth the chasm could have ever helped him before.  
  
"I have always wondered," Dumbledore replied, "as to why the attempted killing curse on you backfired towards Voldemort. I always knew that your mother's love had saved you, but I did always wonder as to if that power would be enough to reflect the curse back upon its caster." Harry made a small noise of understanding, although he had never consider this before, it made small sense to him.  
  
Dumbledore continued again. "But now I understand why the curse was reflected. The locality of the chasm of life increased the power of your mother's love, and so reflecting the curse back at Voldemort. In other words it, along with your mother, saved your life."  
  
"So... all this time Voldemort thought he had underestimated the power of my mum..." Harry began slowly, "he really just didn't know how near the chasm of life was?"  
  
"A bit of both, I would think," Dumbledore said simply. "I would think he underestimated your mother's love hugely, and I very much doubt he would have attacked you at your house, had he known that the chasm of life was so near."  
  
Harry nodded wearily. He had been thinking about the prophecy again, and he closed his eyes slightly. "So one of the heirs must kill the other..." he said slowly, grimacing at the thought of it.  
  
"Yes," Dumbledore answered simply. "But do not worry, you will be ready when the time comes." Harry sat quiet for a moment, before voice another thought he had had.  
  
"Professor," he started quietly, "if both Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin had secret chambers or places for themselves, would Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff have had one too?"  
  
"As to that I do not know," Dumbledore replied slowly. "But I have heard no mention of a Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff chamber, whereas the chamber of secrets and the chasm of life are both legends in their own right."  
  
Harry had one more question. "And Professor, is there also an heir of Ravenclaw? And one for Hufflepuff?"  
  
Dumbledore tilted his head to one side slightly, as if contemplating his answer. "I know there is no heir for Helga Hufflepuff, as she never had any children. As for Rowena Ravenclaw, I have no idea."  
  
Harry could sense a weary finality in his tone, and he knew that his meeting was over. He stood up to go, and Dumbledore rose also.  
  
"I think it would be best if people did not know about today's events," Dumbledore said, "to ensure you do not get a barrage of questions coming your way."  
  
Harry nodded, hovering by the exit to the office. "Thanks Professor."  
  
Dumbledore smiled. "You should return to Gryffindor house Harry," he said, and his smiled broadened slightly. "Miss Weasley will be waiting." 


	25. The Premonition

Thanks for all the reviews...  
  
Chapter 25 - The premonition  
  
After the explosive events of the valentines weekend, the rest of February seemed comparatively dreary. The month was mainly filled with revision for the imminent exams, with even Ron getting a bit worried with them being just a month off. Harry however, made sure to maintain Quidditch practises and his lessons with Professors Snape and McGonagall. He also made the decision to restart the D.A.  
  
He wasn't quite sure what had made him decide to do it. He knew that now they had a great defence against the dark arts teacher in Professor Diggory, and that also there had been not even a whisper of death or violence from Voldemort, but he still felt that he should help his students however he could. He was especially anxious to teach them the Patronus charm, what with Dementors roaming far and wide under Voldemort's banner.  
  
After talking to Professors Diggory, Dumbledore and McGonagall, along with Ginny, Ron and Hermione, Harry was given permission, (indeed, blessing from Professor Dumbledore), to start the D.A. He chose to carry on using the room of requirement however, even though there was now no need for the secrecy.  
  
Word seemed to get around extraordinarily fast, and Harry was surprised to see almost the entire of the original D.A return, along with several extras. There were of course, no Slytherins, but the numbers were now boosted to over fifty. There were so many people that Harry decided to stagger it over two hours, so as to incorporate two groups for an hour each. Ron, Hermione and Ginny of course, stayed for both.  
  
In the first group, Harry had all the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. This now included Henry Peters of the Ravenclaw team, and Ernie Macmillan had also returned. Cho and Marietta had of course, not returned.  
  
The first session went well. Harry gave a quick talk about what he wanted to go over, (surprising himself with how easy it was to deliver the speech), before assigning them into pairs to have a catch up lesson on all the basic spells. He was particularly impressed with Peters, who seemed to show an adeptness to pick up spells very quickly, and was quickly becoming the best in the class at the shield charm.  
  
There was no rest for Harry between sessions, with many of the Gryffindors arriving early enough to see the end of the meeting with the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs.  
  
Harry waited for all the Gryffindors to get into the room before starting. Even with just one house being there instead of two, the Gryffindors had still somehow managed to be more numerous than the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. Everyone from Harry's year was there, as was all of Ginny's year. The entire Quidditch team had turned up, as had any siblings of those already mentioned. All in all, most of Gryffindor house had arrived for the meeting. Harry waited for them all to be quiet before starting.  
  
He cleared his throat. "Err... hi," he said, suddenly awkward in front of all of them, "I'm sure you know why you are here. This is the D.A. or "Dumbledore's army," as named by Ginny." He chanced a glance over his shoulder and saw Ginny blush slightly at her name being mentioned. He grinned, and several of the Gryffindors grinned back at him. Feeling slightly encouraged, he continued.  
  
"Now, I thought we'd do a catch up session today..." he trailed off and raised his hands to the small out burst that had accompanied this suggestion, quickly thinking how to placate them. "But..." he waited for quiet before continuing. "But, I think none of you require it and so we will move onto other things. I have decided, that what with the Dementors joining Voldemort, we shall learn Patronuses."  
  
The small intake of breath that had accompanied Voldemort's name was let out on the mention of Patronuses. The Patronus charm was a complicated charm that could be used to defend against a Dementor, as a sort of force of good, which the Dementor could not harm.  
  
Harry separated the group into pairs and went amongst them as he explained the charm, before setting them to do it. Many of the D.A had learnt this the previous year, or tried to, but many had either forgotten or still had difficulty with it. He knew he had to get a Boggart or something, but where he did not know.  
  
He walked amongst them for most of the session, just watching and talking to a few of them, but he couldn't help his eyes being drawn to Ginny. He watched her closing her eyes, obviously focusing vividly on a memory. She opened her eyes and scanned the room, before their eyes met. Looking straight at him, that small shy smile creeping across her face, she took a breath.  
  
"Expecto Patronum!" she cried loudly, and something silver, something enormous erupted from the end of her wand. It was bigger than any Patronus Harry had ever seen, seemingly filling the room. Several people backed up against the wall, and one of the girls screamed. It was a huge, shimmering silver dragon. Its shining tail whipped around lethally as it bared its huge teeth, looking for the Dementor. As there was no Dementor, it soon started to fade into mist, and the D.A, as one, broke into applause, which Harry lead enthusiastically. Ginny blushed and her ears reddened, in a way that reminded Harry forcibly of other one of the Weasley family.  
  
The session ended with many of the D.A able to perform the Patronus charm, and Harry congratulated them, although reminding them that when they actually used the charm it would be under very different circumstances.  
  
"Oh don't be such a spoil sport," said Hermione loudly and everyone laughed, Ron particularly loudly. Harry shot him an enquiring look as the others rose to leave, and he blushed slightly and left with Seamus and Dean.  
  
Ginny and Hermione waited for Harry. "Well done Harry!" Hermione said excitedly, hugging him quickly. Ginny laughed slightly before hugging Harry also.  
  
"You were both really good," Harry replied, though his eyes were on Ginny. Hermione had been able to do it the year before, and her otter now seemed rather pitiful compared to the spectral dragon that Ginny was able to conjure, although Harry didn't say so. Instead he contented himself with a small smile at Ginny as they re-entered the Gryffindor common room. Harry settled himself down next to Ron, who had already collected his books.  
  
"I brought yours down for you," said Ron quickly, indicating the chair next to him.  
  
"Thanks," Harry replied, before placing the books on the table and sitting back in the chair. "What are you revising?"  
  
"Goblin revolts," said Ron ruefully, "Mum had a go at me in fourth year for making some of the names up, so she's making sure I read all the notes beforehand." He groaned. "She's as bad as Hermione." Ron shot a wistful glance in Hermione's direction before carrying on with his work, but Harry didn't ask about it.  
  
As was usual for Harry and Ron, they were the last two in the common room that evening. Long past midnight they still sat revising, although now on the properties of the Llyandra plant they were studying in Herbology. Professor Sprout had hinted that there might be a test the next day, so Harry was especially frantic to get this revised.  
  
"Triple potions and am exam," Harry muttered angrily, as the clock struck one o'clock. He let out a yawn and closed his book in disgust. "I'm going to sleep," said Harry, slowly rising to his feet and gathering his books. Ron nodded and followed Harry up the stairs, and soon both had dumped their books by their respective beds but Harry didn't sleep for a long time.  
  
"Harry! Harry! Harry wake up!" Harry opened a bleary eye, and the blurred form of Neville materialised above him.  
  
"Wasamatter?" he said groggily, pulling himself up right into a sitting position and reaching for his glasses.  
  
"Harry its nearly nine o'clock!" said Neville urgently, throwing Harry his black school robes. "Potions in five minutes!"  
  
Harry was awake now. Pulling on his robes quickly and grabbing his school bag and stuff, he met Neville and Ron outside in the common room. Ron handed him a bit of toast.  
  
"No time to waste," he said quickly. He had black marks under his eyes that told Harry that Ron had not slept quite enough either. Ron departed for his care of magical creatures lesson with Neville, while Harry found Hermione in the Entrance hall, and they both headed for the dungeons.  
  
They were just in time. Harry and Hermione sat down in their seats at the back of the class just as Professor Snape entered the classroom. Potions had not improved much since the previous year, but Harry definitely was under the impression that Professor Snape was losing some of his edge. He was no longer going out of his way to make things bad for Harry, although he would never treat Harry on an equal level with the others in the class. In truth Harry was not necessarily the best potions maker in the class, but he was certainly better then some. The group was a fairly small one, (with very few people wanting an extra year with Snape save the Slytherins), and the potions were becoming more interesting.  
  
However, no matter how interesting the potion was, Harry couldn't keep his eyes open. He was very tired after his sleepless night, and even with Hermione's frequent nudging he couldn't stay awake for long in double potions. He proudly survived into the second lesson, before he closed his eyes and was instantly into a dream.  
  
He wasn't sure exactly where he was at first. It seemed vaguely familiar, and then Harry realised; he was in the cave where he had met Sirius. In his dream he walked out of the cave and onto the ledge outside it, before looking down on Hogsmeade. It was a terrible sight.  
  
The houses of Hogsmeade were on fire. Indeed, all the buildings seemed to be on alight with a fierce burning, although Harry noted that Godric's hollow was not burning. But this was not was due Harry's gaze the most. It was the vast army that was displayed below him.  
  
Harry knew instantly that it was an army, and he had no trouble in working out whose army it was. Death Eaters stood, their arms aloft and their hooded and masked faces pointing up at him, cheering victory. Hordes of Dementors roamed freely around the village, and his stomach felt icy cold. He wrenched his gaze from them to another movement that had attracted his gaze,  
  
Out of the Forbidden forest, which ran parallel with part of the village, came the most fearsome of all the creatures. There were about twenty of them, each at least 20 foot tall, their stone like bodies crashing out of the undergrowth and towards the carnage the death eaters and Dementors had left. The giants tore through the crumpling remains of Honeydukes, lifting huge sections of the building structure and hurling them upwards into the air before they came crashing down many metres away. Harry looked up into the sky and saw the Dark Mark floating there, and his head erupted with pain. He rolled off his chair and landed on the cold dungeon floor and noise exploded around him.  
  
"Harry?" he heard Hermione's urgent voice. "Get Professor Dumbledore someone, quick!"  
  
"No, he is very busy at the moment." An icy voice spoke the words, and Harry opened his eyes to see Professor Snape and Hermione crouched over him.  
  
"Are you ok Harry?" said Hermione carefully. At Harry's nod, she looked at Snape with something resembling anger. "He needs to see Professor Dumbledore."  
  
"No he doesn't," Snape replied. "Class dismissed. You too Miss Granger." Hermione gave him a horrified look, but dared not argue with a Professor, and trusting him as a member of the Order of the Phoenix, she left.  
  
"Sit up Potter," Snape said sharply, indicating the chair that Harry had fallen off. Harry rose gingerly to his feet before sitting back on his chair. Snape paced in front of the desk and looked straight into Harry's eyes.  
  
"What did you see?" he asked simply. Harry took a deep breath before replying as simply as possible.  
  
"I saw Voldemort's army," he answered. Snape, who had started pacing, whirled around suddenly.  
  
"What did you see?" The question was repeated, although Harry understood perfectly what Snape meant. He glanced up at Snape, and decided that, as an Order member, he should be given the benefit of the doubt.  
  
"I saw many death eaters," he said, frowning slightly, "probably about 50. There was also a – a huge army of Dementors. They were in Hogsmeade, and it was all burning... And then about twenty giants came out of the forest and..." Harry trailed off. He didn't tell Snape about the screams of the residents that he had heard; he could not bring himself too.  
  
Snape glanced at Harry, before striding to the window. He looked out of it for a long time before turning back to Harry.  
  
"What ever you saw Potter, its not happening now," Snape returned to standing in front of Harry's desk. "You may go Potter. But do not tell the Headmaster of this dream of yours, he worries enough about you as it is." Harry looked at Snape with an intention to argue, but the dangerous glint in his eye warned Harry not to. Nodding to show he understood, he picked up his books and hurried from the room to tell Ron and Hermione about his dream. 


	26. Into The Grounds

Disclaimer: Just to say as I did at the very beginning of the story that all the characters, (except a very few e.g. Leanne Filroy, Rena Holloway), places and general concept belong to JK Rowling, although much of this story and some of its smaller ideas (e.g. the chasm of life, wizarding post- its) and the story are my own ideas. I am in no way affiliated to JK Rowling or Bloomsbury etc etc and I make no money from films, books, merchandise (unfortunately) etc. Here endeth the lesson. On another note, there is a small radiohead reference, but don't worry, it's just a song name used as a metaphor ish. Something for you 'head fans to spot.  
  
Chapter 26 Into the Grounds  
  
"And Snape told you not to tell Dumbledore?" Ron said, astonished.  
  
"Yep," Harry replied, "he said it twice just to make sure."  
  
"So are you going to tell him?" Ron asked. Harry was glad Ron had voiced this suggestion and not him. He now had plenty of reasons to distrust Snape: the prisoners escaping when he was at the ministry, the letters L.V on that letter and now this. Hermione spoke up.  
  
"I think you should listen to Snape," she said, but to Harry it sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than anyone else. "Dumbledore trusts Snape..."  
  
"Do you?" Ron cut across quickly. Hermione frowned at him for a moment before she answered with a simple nod. Ron gaped at her. "But look at all the evidence!" he said angrily. "We know his task from Dumbledore was to work with Voldemort, what if he was actually working with Voldemort from the start? There's no other explanation!"  
  
Hermione bit her lip and did not answer, before turning back to her revision. The exams were just a week off now and Hermione's hysterics were getting worse. She now snapped at any that interrupted her revision and peace in the common room, and was frequently the last to leave the common room. Harry and Ron could see her most weekend days hunched over books in the library, but had enough sense to leave her be.  
  
Harry was trying to relieve the tension that was building around sixth years by holding Quidditch practises, but without a match with Slytherin for another couple of months, he had no reason to, especially with the burden of revision. He no longer had his lessons with Dumbledore or Snape, who had decided that Harry was not sufficient enough at Occlumency to fight off Legilimency, as long as he didn't let his emotions get the better of him. However, it was his lessons with Professor McGonagall that had survived the longest, and that he enjoyed the most.  
  
He was now at the stage where he could transform his arms, legs and head into the respective parts of a phoenix, but he was still too big to fly like that. Ron had found it hysterically funny that Harry's scrawny legs couldn't support him. Ron himself could now change all four of his limbs into the legs of a dog, and he could make his nose go cold and black as a dog's.  
  
Hermione was getting frustrated at her own lack of improvement. She was still too big to fly, much to her disappointment, and instead just flapped hopelessly on the floor.  
  
The three of them therefore, headed down to Professor McGonagall's classroom with renewed vigour and will to succeed. However, as they were approaching the classroom, they saw Professor McGonagall back out of it and lock the door.  
  
"Professor?" Harry said, the question implied in his words.  
  
Professor McGonagall jumped slightly at his voice. "Ah! Oh its you Potter." She took a calming breath before answering his question. "I decided that we should hold this evenings lesson outside, as I think you are close to transforming."  
  
Harry glanced at Ron and Hermione who both shot him excited looks, as they followed Professor McGonagall down the stairs, through the entrance hall, and into the grounds.  
  
She lit her wand quietly as they walked on to the lawns. The crisp cold air caught Harry's face painfully, but he ignored it. Professor McGonagall turned and lit a torch bracket behind them, before calling Ron forward.  
  
"Weasley, you first." Ron stepped forward, his face set. He closed his briefly, before opening them wide and flicking his wand up and down.  
  
"Dane Aniservia!" Harry knew instantly that Ron wasn't going to do the complete transformation, but he also knew there would a lot of progress this time. He watched as Ron's arms and legs covered themselves in thick fur, and his head elongated slightly as his nose turned jet black. His ears moved upwards so they were protruding over the top of his head, and his mouth opened to reveal a huge, lolling tongue.  
  
Harry and Hermione clapped hard as Ron changed back, blushing, but looking pleased with himself. Professor McGonagall congratulated him as well, before calling Harry forward.  
  
"Just remember what you have to do Potter." Her voice was curt, but Harry was certain he could detect a hint of excitement in it.  
  
Harry, like Ron, closed his eyes. He tried to remember how it had felt to be able to transform his arms, legs and head. Once he had that feeling, he tried to imagine everything from ground level. In his minds eye he was a phoenix, and he took off, soaring above the castle. Harry knew it was time. He opened his eyes before flicking his wand up, then back down again.  
  
"Phoenix Aniservia!" he yelled. He had done it. He felt his whole body shrinking as he became bird sized, his head became a phoenix's head with its elongated long beak, his skin turned to thick golden plumage and his legs became thin and yellow, but were now strong enough to support his weight. He held his arms out beside him to admire the feathers that now stood there, and he knew he was now ready. He looked around him. Professor McGonagall was standing high above him, clapping hard, and so were Ron and Hermione. He turned away from them, and faced the lake. He bent his scrawny legs, and pushed, flapping his wings as he did it.  
  
The feeling was breathtaking. He soared upwards, high above the ground with minimal effort now that he was up in the air. He opened his wings and twisted and turned, rolling over and over in the air. It was like being on his broom, but he WAS the broom...  
  
He glided over the shimmering surface of the lake, diving down and skimming his feet across the black water. He then turned and shot upwards, sailing to the moon, his wings outstretched. He arced gracefully back and whipped around the turrets of the castle, a fireball of speed and epic grace. He turned and dived back down again, landing effortlessly on the ground. Righting himself, he transformed back.  
  
Ron was simply looking stunned, Professor McGonagall was clapping, but Hermione threw her arms around Harry, practically crying with joy.  
  
"Oh Harry that was wonderful!" she said, laughing now. Harry blushed, before encouraging Hermione.  
  
"Go on, you have a go!" Harry stepped away from Hermione and stood beside Ron, (who was obviously trying to keep his emotions in check), and Professor McGonagall. Hermione, like Harry and Ron, closed her eyes for a moment before flicking her wand.  
  
"Owl Aniservia!" Harry watched as Hermione's nose elongated slightly, and her head shrank into that of an owls. Her body sprouted feathers, and she started to shrink towards the ground; it was like watching Peter Pettigrew, but the other way around. However, her shrinking slowed much to early...  
  
She was an owl, but about twice the size of normal. She flapped her wings desperately, and she managed to hover just above the ground, but she could do no better. She transfigured back, looking distinctly frustrated.  
  
"I was so close that time!" she said, running a hand through her bushy brown hair. Professor McGonagall gave her a small smile.  
  
"I would not worry Miss Granger," she said crisply, "I think you will be able to transform fully soon, and you too Mr Weasley." She straightened up slightly. "I'm afraid I will not be able to hold lessons with you for a few weeks, I will let you know when. You may of course practise until then, but you must be careful, transforming can go drastically wrong." She turned and started to walk up towards the castle. "You should return to the common room immediately, you have only a few days before your exams." 


	27. Early Exams

Chapter 27 - Early Exams  
  
Harry awoke the morning after his transformation, Sunday, (the day before his exams began), feeling intensely aware of something. He could not put his finger on what it was. He reached for his glasses, only to find them already in his hand. Shaking himself slightly, he looked around for his wand, and again he soon felt it in the palm of his hand. Definitely perturbed now, he rose, dressed and headed down to the common room.  
  
There was a small clamour of Gryffindor sixth years, who were all chattering excitedly around a notice on the wall. Neville beckoned him and pointed at the note, which Harry read.  
  
_"All Gryffindor sixth years should be aware that they may have the weekend off school after the exams are over. This may be spent in Hogsmeade or with family."  
_  
Harry looked up to see Ron grinning at him from the other side of the room, and Harry went over to him.  
  
"Read the note?" Ron asked happily.  
  
Harry nodded. "Yeah I did, and I was thinking, would you want to come to Godric's Hollow again?"  
  
Ron looked up at him quickly. "That'd be great, but we've already been invited somewhere else!" Harry's eyes narrowed. Ron continued hastily. ""We" including you of course... we've been invited to head quarters! Apparently Remus wants to see us."  
  
Harry smiled. "Yeah that sounds great. Is Hermione going too?" Ron's eyes narrowed slightly.  
  
"No she isn't," he said quickly, and from the tone of his voice Harry could tell that this didn't hugely upset Ron. Ron had all but admitted he still liked Hermione, but on the surface he was bubbling with a mixture of jealousy from the Aniservian charm, love for Hermione and depression at their breaking up. However he was desperately trying to keep any hint of a moan out of his voice, so as to keep any chance of getting together with Hermione again open.  
  
Harry cast around for another topic. "Is the exam timetable up? Surely it must be?"  
  
"Nah, we're getting it at breakfast," said Ron, who rose to his feet. "Reckon we should go look?" Harry nodded, grateful that Ron had taken the bait and they headed down to the main hall for breakfast.  
  
It was a cold day, and the enchanted sky above the hall was covered with dull grey clouds. The Gryffindor table, (along with the rest of the hall), was empty and Harry and Ron walked straight to the far end of the room, by the staff table, to a small pile of papers. Routing through the pile, they soon found their own timetables, and then sat down to examine them. Harry looked carefully down at his.  
  
_Monday 28th March: PM Charms  
  
Tuesday 29th March: AM Potions PM Transfiguration _

_Thursday 31st March: AM Herbology PM Defence against the dark arts.  
_  
Harry looked up from his timetable, to see Ron frowning at his.  
  
"Ah, I have an exam on Friday!" he said, exasperatedly, "Care of ruddy Magical Creatures! I'll kill Hagrid!"  
  
Harry laughed. "I get to finish on Thursday!" Ron scowled at him. Harry coughed nervously before hastily changing the subject. "Hey, that's Dawlish!"  
  
"What?" said Ron. Harry was looking down the room and through the small bit of the door to where Dawlish, an Auror, was standing. He was obviously waiting for someone. Harry and Ron crept down the hall, out of side of the Auror, and stood behind the door. After a few seconds they were rewarded with the sounds of swift approaching footsteps, and a curt greeting.  
  
"Good morning Dawlish," came Snape's voice from behind the door, and Harry had to hit Ron to stop him from saying anything.  
  
"Good morning Snape," Dawlish replied, and Harry watched their shadows shaking hands. "I don't suppose you know where Professor Dumbledore is do you? I'm afraid I need to talk to him."  
  
"No I don't," Snape replied apologetically, "may I ask why you need to see him?"  
  
"You may," Dawlish agreed amicably, "it's just that we have received information that Karkaroff has been spotted in a small town in Wiltshire, and I was wondering whether Dumbledore knew anything about it."  
  
"Karkaroff?" Snape seemed riveted by this news. "Well I certainly didn't know that... that's very interesting..." Snape trailed off. "Is there any other reason you need to speak to the Headmaster?"  
  
"Well I was just generally wondering if he knew anything about he-who- must-not-be-named," said Dawlish simply, "he's been very quiet and we have very little information about his army or who he is trying to recruit."  
  
Snape took no time in replying. "Well I may be able to help you there..." he said, and he and Dawlish walked straight into the main hall. Snape froze as he spotted Harry. "Potter! What are you doing here?"  
  
"Having my breakfast, sir," Harry responded sarcastically, "Or am I in the wrong room?"  
  
"Ten points from Gryffindor!" Snape replied angrily, "and if you are ever so insolent again Potter it will be fifty. Now get out of my sight!"  
  
Harry needed no second bidding. He and Ron scooted out of the room and up the stairs towards Gryffindor tower. Ron turned to Harry.  
  
"What was that all about?"

  
  
Harry and Ron, who had wasted no time telling Hermione what had happened, spent the rest of the day, and the following morning between revising Charms and talking about Snape.  
  
Harry found, much to his surprise, that his revision was going brilliantly. He had been able, since his successful transformation, to perform any spell that Hermione could read off the syllabus. Hermione had been just as puzzled by this as he was, until Harry remembered what Dumbledore had said after that day in the chasm of life.  
  
"So you've gained extra magic power now?" said Hermione, in a tone Harry couldn't understand.  
  
"Apparently..." he said slowly, not quite sure what to expect.  
  
"Well that's just typical!" Hermione burst out shrilly, causing a few first years behind her to jump violently. Ron looked at her, startled, but he had no chance to interrupt. "I work really hard for over five years, reading books, studying hard, and then you spend five minutes in that chasm and you've gained more than I have! It's not fair!" And with that she stood up and strode from the common room.  
  
Ron caught Harry's eye, and Harry could tell that he was torn between amusement and concern, but amusement won. He let out a small laugh, which eased the tension of the common room, and people gradually got back to normal.  
  
"Terrible thing, envy," remarked Ron dryly.  
  
Harry laughed, before checking his watch. "We better go," he said to Ron, "the exam starts in fifteen minutes."  
  
They went downstairs, where they were called in by name. Hermione wasn't speaking to them, and she was called in much earlier than either of the previous two. Harry went when his name was called and, as these were only school exams rather than national qualifications, he was assigned to Professor McGonagall.  
  
It went really well. Like in revision he was able to perform all the charms to perfection. Even Professor McGonagall was surprised and gave him a broad smile before he departed.  
  
Ron had not fared so well. He came back ashen faced, saying nothing except muttering something to do with "would be ok". Harry said nothing, and did not voice aloud the possibilities that Ron could have meant, suffice to allow himself a small smile.  
  
His potions exam the next day was not as bad as it could have been. Unlike his other branches of magic, gaining magical potency could not top up Harry's potion-making skills. However, he felt afterwards that it was not his worst potions exam, and was very confident with at least two of the four potions he'd had to make.  
  
His other exams however, went as flawlessly as the charms exam had. He breezed through his transfiguration, but at a shrewd glance from Professor McGonagall, he neglected to show off his Animagus form. In Herbology he handled all the plants correctly, and succeeded in producing the largest amount of Gridulwa milk in the previous ten years of exams. In his defence against the dark arts exam, he was yet against asked by an examiner to demonstrate the Patronus charm, which Harry happily did.  
  
Ron, after his initial struggling at Charms, had done even worse at Herbology, but had managed to do very well in transfiguration and care of magical creatures. His defence against the dark arts was the exam he was most confident on, or so he said.  
  
And so it was, that on the Saturday morning, Harry found himself facing a weekend at Grimmauld place. He, Ron and Ginny headed down early on Saturday morning to Hogsmeade, and found their way through to the fireplace at the three broomsticks. After Ron and Ginny, with their luggage, had disappeared, Harry stepped into the fireplace.  
  
"Number 12, Grimmauld Place!"


	28. Mr Weasley's Auror Reports

Chapter 28 – Mr Weasley's Auror Reports  
  
Harry felt himself spinning, faster and faster, the world a blurred mess swirling around him in a vortex of colour, before finally he felt himself slow down and fall forward. Putting a foot out and staggering forward, he someone how manage to stay on his feet, but no sooner had he stood up straight, Mrs Weasley had strode forward and pulled him into a hug.  
  
"Harry!" She cried loudly, "how are you?"  
  
"I'm fine thank you Mrs Weasley," Harry said quickly, extracting himself from her tight embrace and looking round. Ron and Ginny were settling down into seats, smiling slightly at their mothers over fussing of Harry. But his eyes were drawn to the slightly gaunt figure who was striding up to shake Harry's hand.  
  
"Hi Remus," said Harry happily, greeting his former Professor enthusiastically, shaking his hand.  
  
"Harry," Remus acknowledged, "I take it your exams went well?" He was smiling wryly, and Harry could tell that several of the teachers had been discussing his new talents. He had no doubt that it had been Dumbledore who had passed on the information. He smiled and blushed slightly, very glad that Hermione wasn't there to have a go at him. He caught Ron's eye, and Ron hastily turned his laugh into a cough into his sleeve. Before Remus could ask, the doorbell rang.  
  
"That'll be Arthur and the twins!" said Mrs Weasley happily, and she bustled off to get the door. She returned a moment later, followed by Fred, George and Mr Weasley. He looked a lot better then he had done, his formerly shabby robes made of a much finer material, and Harry was glad to see that he was being paid well for his new job as Minister for Magic.  
  
Then it struck Harry how much Ron had changed over the year, and he realised then what it must have been down to. Since his father had got his new job, he had not once had to complain about being poor. This had meant that he had generally been happier and, as Harry had now realised, he had been far more tactful this year than any of the previous ones. His treatment of Hermione, (particularly at the times of Tonks' death and also the Quidditch tryouts), had been far more intelligent, often comforting her, and Harry was suddenly not surprised that they had started going out this year. But his thoughts were interrupted as Fred and George greeted him jovially, followed by Mr Weasley, and he had to redirect his thoughts.  
  
That day, and the evening that followed it, was altogether a very enjoyable affair. It was great being back with everybody, particularly the twins, whose instant humour Harry had missed slightly at Hogwarts. They stayed up late into the night talking about all the "good old days," with Remus also making Fred and George laugh with several stories about Sirius. Harry surprised himself by not feeling a maddening feeling of grief in his stomach, and as he recognised that he had finally grieved enough for Sirius, he gave Remus a warm smile. Remus seemed to understand and smiled back.  
  
The following morning, Harry woke early, and he walked downstairs to the main room. Fred and George were the only ones there, both looking exceedingly pleased with themselves.  
  
"What are you two looking so chuffed about?" Harry asked sleepily.  
  
George looked up at him gleefully, and checked no one else was there. "Ludo Bagman paid up!"  
  
"He sent us the gold this morning! And we thought he was all bad...." Fred trailed off, looking upwards at Harry happily.  
  
"Really?" Harry said, jerked out of sleepiness instantly.  
  
"April Fool!" They both said together, and they roared with laughter. Harry looked at them totally nonplussed, but he couldn't help grinning at the two's obvious amusement.  
  
"Very funny," he said in mock-anger, "maybe so funny that I should tell your mum about Ludo..." Harry trailed off, trying to keep his face straight to see if they would take him seriously. "Yeah, I think I will now..." He turned and started to leave the room, a broad smirk on his face, before he heard a clattering of chairs and felt two hands on his shoulders, whipping him around. George pinned him against the wall.  
  
"You wouldn't..." he said angrily, his face contorted with rage. Harry tried to suppress the laughter, but failed. He shrank back against the wall, holding his stomach, laughing until his sides hurt.  
  
"Your faces!" He said breathlessly, wiping away small tears of mirth that caused Fred and George to laugh also, and the three of them staggered back to the table to have breakfast.  
  
"You're evil, Harry," was all Fred would say about it, but Harry was sure he could see a glint of pride in Harry's trick, that convinced Harry that Fred thought he had taught Harry how to trick people. In all fairness, Harry decided, that was at least partially true.  
  
He turned as he heard Remus, Arthur and Molly walk into the room, followed swiftly by Kingsley Shacklebolt, Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore. They all acknowledged Harry, but each had a serious expression on their face, as they settled down at the table.  
  
"Close the door please Harry," Molly said, putting the kettle on in the corner of the room, "neither Ron nor Ginny are in the Order." Harry did as he was told, before settling down at the end of the table. Mr Weasley sat at the far end, and started speaking first. Harry soon noticed Mrs Weasley had set a quick quotes quill to write down what was being said.  
  
"Well I've got some pretty important news," Mr Weasley started, "or rather, Kingsley does." Mr Weasley nodded at Kingsley.  
  
"Thank you Minister," Kingsley began, and Mr Weasley rolled his eyes, but smiled slightly all the same. "I have received intelligence at the Auror department on the size of You-Know-Who's army. We are currently under the impression that they have approximately thirty Death Eaters, less than a hundred Dementors and a few Goblins. This is less then was previously expected but it was a reliable report, though the informant has since been killed so we cannot question further."  
  
Harry was stunned, those numbers were far less than he had expected, especially due to his premonition. True, he had not seen any Goblins, but there had been many giants, hundreds of Dementors and a cheering army of Death Eaters that was at least double what Kingsley had said.  
  
Harry's eyes shot up to meet Snape, who was looking at him furiously, shooting him an obvious warning glance. Harry, against his better judgement, kept quiet, although he still could not fathom what Snape was up to, if anything. But his suspicions were deeply set.  
  
The meeting carried on, with many names passing across the circle that Harry did not recognise, until suddenly Bill appeared out of the fireplace. Everyone whipped around to greet him but before they could say anything, he put up a hand for silence.  
  
"Karkaroff is dead," he said simply. He looked out of breath as if he had run to give them the news. Snape reacted first.  
  
"How?" he said very quickly, "when?" Harry was surprised at the speed of the reaction, and he wasn't sure that Snape hadn't known this before the meeting.  
  
"He was found last night, he had been killed by the Avada Kedavra curse, although we have no idea who did it." Bill sighed. "His body was found in South Wiltshire."  
  
"Near the Malfoy's," Snape said. Harry's eyes shot up again, and he knew then that Snape was hiding more than he was letting on. The meeting soon finished and Harry raced to tell Ron what had happened. 


	29. Paranoia

Chapter 29 – Paranoia  
  
"So... Professor Snape glared at you to stop you telling everyone?" Hermione asked, astounded.  
  
"Yeah he did," Harry replied fervently, "and he reacted so quickly to the revelation of Karkaroff's death that you'd think he knew about it already."  
  
They were sitting in the Gryffindor common room, which was empty, and it was late on Sunday evening. Harry, Ron and Ginny had just returned from Grimmauld place, and Harry was filling in Hermione, (who had stayed with her parents that weekend), on all the events.  
  
"So let me just see if I can remember everything you've said," Ron said slowly, "First Snape forbids you from telling Dumbledore about your vision. Then you see him talking to Dawlish and hearing about the sighting of Karkaroff, and within a few days, he is found dead – news that Snape seemed to have already known about. He again forbids you to tell Dumbledore about your vision. And on top of all that, he wrote a letter to "L.V"? He's guilty as sin..."  
  
"I don't know," said Hermione slowly, "Dumbledore trusts him..." But Harry could tell she was trying to convince herself more than anybody. Of course Ron had jumped at the chance of blaming Snape, and Ginny, after seeing the evidence, was also starting to become very suspicious of Snape.  
  
"That's what you always say," Ron cut in briskly, "and you know that, although he's really wise and powerful and all, there's always the chance that he could be tricked..."  
  
They all sat with their own thoughts for a while. Could Snape be a traitor? Every chance, Harry thought bitterly. He got to his feet, kissed Ginny good night, before returning to his dormitory.  
  
The next few weeks rolled by fairly uneventfully. Harry had restarted Quidditch practises for the imminent match with Slytherin that would be held at the beginning of May, just over a month off. He was also working hard with the D.A, now on a binding spell like petrificus totalus, which worked on more than one person – the genus petrificus incantation. This, along with meetings with Professor McGonagall meant that Harry had barely one night a week to do his homework, a fact that had meant he had very little time to spend with Ginny. However, an opportunity presented itself for a day out with Ginny, when a notice was posted on the Gryffindor common room board, announcing a Hogsmeade date that weekend.  
  
"Great," said Ron enthusiastically, "I've been meaning to stock up on Honeydukes sweets for ages..."  
  
Harry laughed. "You'll eat them within ten seconds anyway," he muttered, so only Ginny could hear him, and she laughed. Harry again marvelled at the sound, but the threat of missing Potions caused him to abandon the thought, and he raced off downstairs to grab some breakfast.  
  
The day of the Hogsmeade visit dawned bright and crisp, the last echoes of the winter chills seemingly ebbing away, as April marched on. Harry looked out of his dormitory window to see the sleek black-coated Thestrals weaving their way effortlessly over the ragged forested skyline. He watched as a flock of birds shot of a bunch of trees, shrieking angrily, before they wheeled away towards the lake, where Harry could see a tentacle of the giant squid breaking softly above the surface.  
  
Seeing that Ron was still asleep, Harry headed down to the common room, where he found Hermione and Ginny sitting talking to Neville.  
  
"Don't tell him..." Hermione was saying, her eyes rooted on Neville.  
  
"Don't tell who what?" Harry replied. Hermione whipped around, and upon seeing whom it was, let out a sigh of relief.  
  
"Oh it's you Harry," she said, in a relieved tone, "I was afraid it was Ron for a minute." She breathed deeply. "Oh but you'd tell him anyway, so never mind."  
  
"What?" said Harry, now deeply confused.  
  
"It doesn't matter!" said Hermione loudly, in a voice that told Harry exactly how much it mattered, "Just don't ask!"  
  
Harry turned to Neville, but Neville spoke first. "I've been sworn to secrecy," he said, rolling his eyes apologetically at Harry, before he looked directly over Harry's shoulder. "Oh, hi Ron!"  
  
Harry whipped around to face Ron, as Hermione shot him a speak-and- I'll-kill-you look. For a moment Harry thought Ron had heard the conversation, but then...  
  
"Morning all," Ron yawned sleepily. "What time is it?"  
  
Ginny couldn't help herself. She burst out laughing before she fled from the room, Hermione chasing her, still howling.  
  
Ron gave Harry a quizzical look, which Harry responded to with an innocent one. "Mental," was all Ron said about it, before he, Harry and Neville headed down for breakfast. The fact that Harry was pretty sure as to what that had been about did not deter him from pestering Neville whenever Ron was distracted.  
  
"Come on Neville..." Harry begged, "I know Hermione still..." But Neville shook his head at Harry. He seemed to be revelling in his position as confident of the girls, and did not want to relinquish this new position.  
  
The three of them ate their breakfast and met with Ginny and Hermione in the entrance hall. Hermione and Ginny both avoided Ron's eyes, smiling inwardly into their scarves. They had both already eaten their breakfast earlier, and so they didn't wait in the Entrance Hall.  
  
Ginny took Harry's hand, and the two of them led the small group out down the front steps and into the Hogwarts grounds. After each being checked by Filch who, as usual, seemed to be looking for a reason to not let them go, they headed down the long lawns and towards Hogsmeade. Harry had just begun to marvel at the bright and warm weather, before he stepped out of the Hogwarts gate, and into Hogsmeade.  
  
The whole world seemed to go cold. Suddenly gloomy, dark clouds ravaged the formerly clear skies, an enveloping darkness descending. He looked around, his insides seemingly frozen, to see what was happening. The others had stopped next to him, and seemed to be talking to him, but he couldn't hear what they were saying. But he could hear something else...  
  
He wasn't sure what it was at first. His eyes glazed over, and he could almost see something, someone. They were laughing, it was a rich laugh, playful and friendly – a man was laughing. But then harsh female laughter erupted in his mind and he fell to his knees, as the pain in his chest became almost unbearable. He heard the male laughter stop, and just before he passed out, he heard another voice – his own – yelling out the words into the darkness.  
  
"SIRIUS! SIRIUS!"  
  
Harry awoke where he had fallen. The sky was clear above him, and he could see Ginny's worried face peering over at him. But before he let her speak, he spoke first.  
  
"Dementors," he said breathlessly, "there are Dementors here."  
  
"Harry what?" said Ginny, blanching at the word "Dementors."  
  
"I felt them," said Harry shakily, gingerly raising himself up and onto his feet. He swayed for a second but soon found that his legs worked, and frowned for a moment. "In my mind I... I heard... him dying." Harry looked at the floor as he said this. He had realised that he had been reliving the events of his fifth year, and had realised it had been the death of Sirius that he had been living through.  
  
Ginny and the others looked at him fearfully. "Oh Harry," Hermione said softly, and Ginny hugged him gently.  
  
"Let's go back to the castle eh?" said Ron, eyeing Harry cautiously. "It'll be quieter."  
  
Harry nodded his grateful ascent at this idea, and they turned and started to walk back up to the castle. They walked past Filch near the gate, who frowned at them but didn't say anything.  
  
They headed up through the grounds, and when they reached the green sweeping lawns overlooking the lake, the five of them, (for Neville had come back with them), settled down on the grass. Ginny propped herself up against Harry.  
  
They talked seriously about the Dementors being on the loose, and what would happen if they really were in Hogsmeade. Neville was of the opinion that they were in Hogsmeade, as there would be nothing else to make Harry feel like that, and Harry was grateful for Neville's reaction.  
  
"Do you reckon we should talk to..." Harry started, but he stopped mid sentence. He was staring at something, something he hadn't spotted earlier, but his eyes were now fixed on a spot above a patch of trees in the forest.  
  
"What is it, Harry?" said Neville, trying to follow his gaze.  
  
"I just saw something moving... there!" he yelled, as he spotted it again, jabbing his hand out to point at it. "Something just moved in the forest! Something big... it looked like... it looked like a Giant." An echoing silence followed this pronouncement.  
  
"I don't see what you're pointing at mate," said Ron grimly. Harry ran a hand through his hair. Was he going mad?  
  
"But..." he looked hard again at the spot where he had been sure he had seen movement. It had been a small grey shaped object that was moving across the forest canopy, like a squirrel between the trees. Except it had been far too large for a squirrel... He looked around at the others, who were all looking at him with a combination of pity and concern.  
  
"Come on," said Ginny quietly, taking Harry by the arm, and she led him back up the steps, and into the castle. They entered the Gryffindor common room, which was empty save for a few second and first years that weren't allowed to go to Hogsmeade.  
  
They soon settled down into a slightly easier manner, although Harry could see them shooting glances at him occasionally. He himself was worried too. He somehow knew that it had been a Dementor that had made him feel so weak. He'd felt their effects far too many times before to not recognise it when it hit him. But he wasn't sure about the movement.  
  
Their had been movement, he knew there had, but it hadn't been a Dementor. It had been something huge, and Harry closed his eyes, frowning. And then he knew what it was. He remembered vividly when he had woken up that morning, the sudden scattering of the birds into the sky, and then he recalled another time, the previous year when the same thing had happened. That time, it had been because Grawp the giant had pulled up the tree beneath it. But this time, as he had looked over the lake, he had seen the stony, mossy strewn head of a giant. He knew it now, as clearly as if the giant had walked up to him and done a dance in front of him.  
  
"Harry?" said Hermione gently. Harry opened his eyes. The others were on the other side of the room, playing exploding snap, but Hermione was sat on the chair next to him.  
  
"It was a Giant," Harry said quietly, so as not to disturb the others. "I know it was."  
  
Hermione's eyes jerked up to meet his. "Are you sure?" she said quickly.  
  
"Yes," Harry affirmed, "I'm certain." He cast his eyes over at the group sitting on the floor playing exploding snap. And his eyes fell on Ginny. He stared at her for a few minutes, before Hermione interrupted.  
  
"Harry what is it?" she asked, sensing that something was amiss.  
  
"It's just..." Harry paused for a moment, unsure exactly as to what to say, or even if he should say it. "I don't know, it's just... I can't help but think that... me going out with Ginny err... isn't the best idea."  
  
"Oh Harry why not?" said Hermione, who had obviously not been expecting that as an answer.  
  
He cast another wistful glance at Ginny and sighed. "Because the closer she is to me, the more danger she's in." 


	30. Three Unregistered Animagi

I live to serve... hopefully this should stop any bickering about the events after the chasm of life...  
  
Chapter 30 - Three Unregistered Animagi  
  
Harry mulled over these thoughts for over a week. He knew he could never break up with Ginny on terms of being angry with her for anything, for he wasn't. Ron had asked one time if he had been angry with her about missing his parents in the chasm of life, but he had come to realise that her life was more important then a chance meeting. He knew he had made the right choice, especially with him being able to talk to the portrait, and read the diary.  
  
He knew he wouldn't be able to do it though. No matter how much he tried to persuade himself that what he was doing was wrong, that he was putting her life in danger for the sake of his own emotions, his head could not over rule his heart.  
  
Still, it wasn't as though he didn't have other things to distract him. Gryffindor were to play Slytherin in just over a week, on the 5th of May, and Harry had the team practising almost every other evening to make sure they were ready. The tension before the Quidditch final was no where near as high as normal though.  
  
Since that fateful day on the train when Harry had saved his life, Malfoy had been quiet and alone. He had isolated himself from his fellow Slytherins, talking little, and he never sent any scathing marks across at the Gryffindors. Apparently he spoke at Quidditch practises, and he had assembled a decent team, but his heart didn't seam to be in it. He constantly had his head in his hands, and Harry had now started to hear the other Slytherins talking about him behind his back, and even insulting him to his face. Crabbe and Goyle were now the bullies of another Slytherin, a seventh year called Lysander Nott, who's name Harry recognised with a jolt as being a Death Eater's son.  
  
Harry even began to feel a bit sorry for Malfoy. He had been "a git" before (as Ron would put it), but he now seemed to be upset about something. Harry could not figure out what it was, but the fact that the change had begun on the day of Harry saving his life meant that Harry thought it must be a good change.  
  
Still, Harry was pleased that the Quidditch build up was not over charged with incidents. In previous years people had been known to end up in hospital before the match even started due to scuffles, particularly between Gryffindors and Slytherins. But the lack of this year meant that training sessions were calm and controlled, with many of the teams best manoeuvres being carried out to perfection.  
  
Apart from Quidditch, Harry also had the D.A, and Animagus training. Harry and Ron had been practising changing in Professor McGonagall's classroom while she had not been able to teach them, although Hermione had said that she thought it was too dangerous and pointless without a teacher. Harry had found, to his joy, that he could already transform into another of his creatures – the sleek black thestral. He had not been able to test that one outside, but Ron had been most surprised when Harry had suddenly disappeared (for Ron had not seen death).  
  
Professor McGonagall had indicated that she would be able to teach them again on the 31st of April, the Monday. The Sunday before that, Harry and Ron were in Professor McGonagall's class, and Harry was working on becoming a Hippogriff. He had decided to ignore the serpent for that time being, and he for some reason wanted to leave the stag until last. The memory of Buckbeak had made him choose the Hippogriff before the lion.  
  
"I'm going to do it tomorrow," said Ron confidently to Harry as they took it in turns to practise. "I know I am." Harry had to admit that Ron was doing very well, he could now transfigure fully into a dog but, like Harry and Hermione before him, he was still the wrong size. Harry on the other hand, who had only just started to become a Hippogriff, had managed to change his wings and his head, although his feet stayed the same.  
  
The two of them headed back up to the Gryffindor common room, and soon settled down in their favourite seats by the fire. A short while later, Hermione came through the portrait hole, looking a bit red in the face, but definitely cheerful.  
  
"Where've you been?" Ron asked in a would-be-casual voice.  
  
"Library," Hermione said unconvincingly, but neither nor Harry nor Ron were feeling up to challenging this answer. Hermione settled down next to Ron on the sofa. She looked over at him for a second, seemingly in deep thought. "Err..." she began edgily, "Harry? Could you give us a minute?"  
  
Harry rolled his eyes: about time to he thought to himself. He grudgingly rose to his feet and left them to it. It did not take long, soon Ron called him back over, looking very pleased with himself, and he blushed as he smiled at Hermione, who was leaning against him. Even Harry was surprised at the depth of the emotion that lay there, though Harry had suspected that Ron had liked Hermione since at least fourth year, if not long before. Harry nodded at them, a small grin on his face. The awkwardness was over.  
  
Ron and Hermione were together as much as they could be the next day. Going for walks at lunch, eating breakfast together, even meeting up between lessons when neither was heading the same way. They seemed distraught at the idea of having to leave each other's side while they went to different lessons, and Hermione for a moment even considered Ron's suggestion of skiving.  
  
All in all, this added up to make Harry feel lonely, and he would have been miserable had it not been for Ginny. He stayed with her for most of the day, (outside of lessons), and he realised again with a pang just how much she had come to mean to him. Every moment spent with her was wonderful, every moment apart, difficult. He only left her side that evening with Harry and Ron, to head down to see Professor McGonagall.  
  
She had again arranged to meet them in the Entrance Hall, and they headed outside into the grounds. Harry immediately transformed into a phoenix, and he arched his streamlined body backwards and looped in the air. He hovered in the air, just out of reach of the other three, fully aware of how wonderfully free he was in the air. He taunted Hermione, moving this way and that, until she could resist no longer. Harry watched through sharpened eyes as Hermione swished her wand and yelled the incantation to the night.  
  
"Owl Aniservia!" Harry watched that ethereal transformation, as Hermione's slim form shrank towards the ground, feathers were sprouting, she was turning brown...  
  
And there she was. A sleek, brown owl, perfectly formed and perfectly sized, hooting softly on the ground. It turned its head to admire its own wings, and let out a soft noise of pleasure, before it braced itself, and left the ground.  
  
Harry could immediately see the joy that this new freedom brought Hermione. She had never been a fan of brooms, but now as she soared around above Harry, Harry could see she was happy.  
  
He flew to her, and together they raced off around the grounds, whirling around the turrets, racing each other higher and higher, before diving down towards the ground and seeing who would veer off first. They whipped up and over the Hogwarts buildings, their eerie moonlit reflections shining back at them when they flew over the greenhouses, before the two of them skimmed the lake itself.  
  
The two of them alighted on the ground in front of Professor McGonagall and Ron, who seemed to have shaken off his envy, and who was roaring with laughter as the two of them transformed back.  
  
"Well done Miss Granger!" said Professor McGonagall proudly, and Hermione blushed. Harry took a quick opportunity to show off.  
  
"Thestral Aniservia!" He felt his limbs growing slightly, he felt his body becoming bigger, but somehow leaner, more powerful and streamlined, and his face elongated to become that of a Thestrals. He looked up at Professor McGonagall who, in her time at the Order, must have seen someone die, for she clapped hard.  
  
"Amazing Potter!" she said excitedly. "Can you do any of the others?"  
  
Harry transformed back. "I've been trying to become a hippogriff, and I can get close..." He said breathlessly, and he held out his wand.  
  
"Hippogriff Aniservia!" He'd done it. His arms widened and lengthened, and became covered in the thick feathers of a hippogriff, pale silvery blue. His head again lengthened, (this time into a bird's, with a long beak), and his lower body changed into those powerful limbs of a horse which he had just felt moments earlier, although this time he was powder white.  
  
He looked at Ron, Hermione and Professor McGonagall, who were clapping, and he bent himself forward in a bow. He heard their laughter, and he offered a wing down towards Ron. He wasn't sure why, but the invitation was clear. Ron stepped back with an odd look on his face, and Harry transformed back.  
  
"Alright then Ron, you have a go instead then!" Harry said, laughing slightly.  
  
Ron took a determined step forward. He swished his wand up and down quickly, with a calm expression on his face.  
  
"Dane Aniservia!" Harry watched as Ron shrank towards the ground, but his body lengthened and became covered with thick brown fur. His ears became large and pointed, and his arms and legs became the limbs of a Great Dane. The dog looked up at Harry and Ron, its tongue lolling out of its mouth, and its tail wagging. Harry couldn't help but laugh, but then he had an idea, which he whispered to Hermione. She nodded, and they both thanked Professor McGonagall, and she bade them good night, before walking back up the steps. Harry and Hermione nodded at each other.  
  
They both transformed, (Harry into a Phoenix), and gently, Harry took a grip on the dog's right shoulder, and Hermione the dog's left. Between the two of them they lifted him off the ground and swished off into the night.  
  
The three of them desperately wanted to miss their first lesson the next morning but, with Harry and Hermione having potions, they forced themselves to try and stay awake for it. The three of them had stayed out the previous night until the early hours of the morning, with Ron being carried by Hermione and Harry for parts of it, or Hermione gliding beside Ron and Harry with Harry in thestral form. No one had again mentioned Harry's offer to Ron of letting Ron ride while he was a hippogriff, and Harry could see now that Ron might have thought it would be a little bit weird.  
  
So, bleary eyed and yawning, Harry and Hermione had had to endure the day of triple potions. And for Harry, the day wasn't over after that. As he had been busy on the previous evening, he had been forced to arrange a Quidditch practise that evening. He and Ron were getting slightly nervous now at the impending Quidditch match, especially as some clever Slytherin had suddenly decided to make the others attack various Gryffindors.  
  
But on the Friday morning, none of the Slytherins, (at least the sixth years), were bothering the Gryffindors. At first Harry wondered why this was, and why they were all huddled together talking, but then two things drew his attention. The first arrived in the claws of an owl for Hermione. She had kept up her subscription to the Daily Prophet, although all year there had been no threat from Voldemort.  
  
However, finally, there seemed to be some news. The front-page headline stood out above a short article.  
  
Dementors Roaming Freely Across Country  
  
An army of Dementors were seen yesterday moving across the hills of the lake district, writes Lisa Baardman. The horde of Dementors were spotted by numerous witches and wizards at the annual ministry creature conference. One wizard said he was "terrified" as the black fiends of Azkaban soared past him, and guessed that there were "at least a hundred of them."  
  
Dementors, former keepers of Azkaban prison, are now in the service of he who must not be named. Where these Dementors are headed nobody is sure, although some wizards said they had "a fair idea. For more information about Dementors, please turn to pages 45-46."  
  
Harry sidled a glance next to him at Hermione, who had also finished reading.  
  
"What do you make of that?" he asked quietly.  
  
"I don't know," she said, frowning, "but if they were in the Lake District... I mean, we don't know where Hogwarts is but I think it must be in the north..." She broke off, looking edgily at Harry.  
  
"They're coming for me." He said it quietly, and he tried to keep the bitterness and fear out of his voice, but Hermione picked up on it.  
  
"I'm probably wrong," she said, in a falsely cheerful voice, but Harry knew Hermione. She was rarely wrong. However, he was then distracted again, this time by Professor McGonagall. She had just given a bit of paper to Ron, and then she looked through a small pile of cards in her had.  
  
"Well done Potter," she said, smiling at him as she handed him one. It was a small piece of white card, which had his name on the top, and then a table, with two columns on it; subject and mark.  
  
Subject – Mark  
  
Potions – A Herbology – O DATDA – O Charms – O Transfiguration – O (I could give you no lower mark after last nights occurrence).  
  
The last comment was hand written, obviously by Professor McGonagall, but Harry was still marvelling at his grades. "O" meant "Outstanding..."  
  
He saw Hermione glancing at his card, beaming. "Oh well done Harry!" she said, looking extremely pleased, and Harry looked at hers: six "O's," including Arithmancy.  
  
"Well done yourself," Harry said, grinning as he nodded in the direction of her card. She blushed, and they both turned to Ron, who was looking at his contemplatively.  
  
"It's not bad," said Ron quickly, but his ears were turning slightly red, and he refused to let them see his card.  
  
The rest of the day passed very quickly, and so it was that that night, the night before the match, Harry let the Gryffindor team members have a break from practises and rest in. He didn't tell that this was as much out of concern for their safety as it was for resting them, but he confided in Ron that their safety had been an issue in his decision.  
  
The three of them sat around the fire, talking quietly about their marks, the impending Quidditch match, becoming Animagi and the Dementors. It was this last event that drew their discussion most, but half way through Ron and Hermione's mini-debate about Dementors being in Hogsmeade, Harry checked his watch. Seeing it was quite late, he rose to his feet.  
  
"Team, bed!" 


	31. Gryffindor vs Slytherin

Yeah, the exams were just like practise or mock exams. He did do his potions, and – as the chasm of life didn't teach how to do potions, just gave him like a magical boost – he didn't do as well as his other subjects. I had hoped that people understood he had gained power in the chasm of life, but oh well. Still, you're gonna hate me even more after this chapter...  
  
Chapter 31 - Gryffindor vs Slytherin  
  
When Harry awoke the next morning, the first thing he noticed upon looking out of the window was how grim the day looked. Odd for May, he thought, but as he proceeded to dress and make his way down to the common room, his thoughts were soon based solely on the match.  
  
The common room was surprising full for that time in the morning, with all of the Quidditch team up and about except from Ron, who then appeared behind Harry. Harry settled down on the sofa between Ginny and Leanne, who both looked decidedly edgier then usual. Leanne in particular seemed to have lost her composure, whereas Ginny merely clung to Harry in a way that showed her slight fear.  
  
Hermione smiled at him from the opposite armchair. "Hope you're more talkative then these two, I've been bored stiff for the last half an hour."  
  
Harry let out a nervous laugh. "I've done this before," he said, but then his eyes fell on Ginny. "So have you, what are you worried about?"  
  
Ginny let out a small cough. "I don't know," she said, "bad feeling in my gut."  
  
"What about?" Harry asked, but she shook her head and he let it be. A few moments later, he rose to his feet, and called the Gryffindor team to go down and have their breakfast. The other Gryffindors cheered and followed down to the hall.  
  
The Slytherin team members were there already. They all, with the exception of Malfoy who merely narrowed his eyes, gave the Gryffindor team loud booing to welcome them into the hall. The other Gryffindors responded with a rousing chorus of "Weasley is Our King". This had the double effect of making Ron's ears turn red, and also shutting the Slytherins up.  
  
Feeling slightly emboldened, Harry sat down to breakfast. All around him the conversation was of the impending match, but Harry made sure that his team were not phased, and he made sure that they ate a healthy amount. Hermione made several fruitless attempts to talk about the Dementor article, but no one was listening. She said that, like Ginny, she had a bad feeling, but Harry put this down to pre-match nerves. (Since the rivalry with Malfoy in third year had taken a severe up turn, Hermione had been almost as passionate about beating Slytherin as Harry and Ron were).  
  
Twenty minutes before the game began, Harry called the team to him, and they left the hall, (which was now full of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs too), to rapturous applause, which almost drowned out the boos from the Slytherins. He led the Gryffindor team out towards the stadium, and then into the changing rooms, where they changed silently into their scarlet robes. Harry looked outside for a second, before turning to face the team.  
  
"The weather looks perfect for Quidditch," he started, trying to begin on a positive thought, "with little wind and neither too hot nor too cold. Vision should be perfect, ground should be hard for a good kick off..." He was trying to practically repeat everything Wood had ever said that he could remember. "We know we can beat Slytherin, we're better than they are – that cup has our name on it!" With the small murmurs of approval that met this Harry felt emboldened further. "I know we can win this, the whole team is superb, down to the last person. Now, I think they're ready out there, so good luck everyone."  
  
He turned and took a deep, steadying breath, before picking up his Firebolt and emerging into the stadium. It was the Quidditch final. Lee Jordan had not returned to Hogwarts to commentate again, and so there was no commentary for the match. Harry was in a small way thankful for this, as he knew how distracted he could get by Lee's commentary.  
  
He walked across the Stadium, the deafening roars echoing around the stadium, as the Slytherins emerged from the far side. They were, as usual, big and brutish, with the exception of the captain.  
  
Malfoy looked fairly bad. He had spent the entire year to himself, and he had not spoken too nor come near Harry since the incident on the train. Now, he was forced to shake hands with Harry, and Harry felt compelled to say something.  
  
"Are you alright?" he said cautiously, unsure whether his former enemy was an enemy at all. Malfoy's eyes rose rapidly to meet Harry's, and they narrowed momentarily, before he turned and stalked backwards, and mounted his broom wearily.  
  
"On my whistle," Madame Hooch said loudly, "Three, two, one..." she blew her whistle hard, and Harry kicked off, shooting up into the air. He heard the crescendo of noise around him as he started to circle the pitch. He had not seen the Snitch on his first circuit, so he chanced a glance at the game, and at the score board, and he was pleasantly surprised to see Leanne knock a bludger into the Quaffle, which knocked it neatly into Ginny's hands. Ginny neatly put it through the open goal, making the score ten-nil to Gryffindor. Harry turned again to carry on his circuiting.  
  
Malfoy was circling the other way, but from what Harry could see of him, he wasn't looking much. Every time Harry saw him, he was glancing at the Slytherins, or out of the stadium, but Harry was sure he wasn't looking for the Snitch. Harry himself glanced around again. For a brief second he thought he had spotted it, but then he realised it was just the glint of the newly emerged sun on Ron's broomstick.  
  
This circling carried on for a long time, and it was approaching mid day when Gryffindor reach one hundred points. Slytherin had scored a miserly thirty, and Harry knew that if Malfoy didn't buck up and find the Snitch soon, Gryffindor would be the ones to have their names engraved on the house cup. He suddenly felt a burst of passion fill his heart as a realisation struck him forcefully: he could be the one lifting the cup... He could be the one who would stand in front of the cheering crowds, lifting the trophy above his head and yelling hoarsely with joy... He could hand the cup on to Ron, and laugh and be as happy as he'd ever been.... And suddenly he wanted that.  
  
He looked around, with renewed vigour. He circled again, his speed increasing and then he spotted it. He had just turned at the end of the stadium and there, half way between Malfoy, (who was at the far end), and Harry, was the snitch. Harry bent low to his broom, and tore off towards it.  
  
He heard the deafening roar of the crowd as Malfoy also made a half-hearted attempt at getting the Snitch, but just as Harry was thinking of grabbing the Snitch, it dived down. Harry looped in the air and tore straight down after it, much to admiration of some of the nearby spectators. The little speck of gold danced in front of him, weaving around the heads of the spectators, who ducked as it, followed swiftly by Harry, whipped over their heads. It took off again skirting the ground before raising up almost vertically, and Harry raced after it.  
  
"Come on..." he urged his Firebolt, and he rose higher and higher, the stadium became the size of a dog, growling beneath him, as he felt the cool metallic winged Snitch against his now enclosed fist. Gryffindor had won the cup.  
  
Harry dived down, his heart soaring in the other direction and he held the Snitch high over his head, and the crowd burst into screams and shouts of wild joy. The Slytherin team alighted on the ground before stalking off, but the whole Gryffindor team was united together in a huge hug around Harry, all screaming hoarsely. They sank towards the ground and were suddenly engulfed by a heaving mass of supporters who had flooded the pitch, eager to join the celebrations.  
  
After a few minutes of backslapping, hugging and hand shaking, Harry led the Gryffindor team over to a platform that had been erected on the side of the pitch. It seemed to have a strangely golden colour, and it rose several feet above the heads of the nearest people. Harry walked up it to where Dumbledore stood. He was smiling at Harry with something Harry could only describe as pride, and Harry thought he saw a tear in the old mans eye. He held out the cup to Harry, who turned his head quickly to the team. With a small nod from Ron, he took the cup and lifted it into the air.  
  
The crowd's roars of approval echoed around the stadium, but as Harry looked around, he found his eyes riveted through one of the gaps in the stadium which looked down upon Hogsmeade. He felt the cup go limp in his hands and it dropped to the floor with a clatter. The crowd's approval turned to stunned silence as it bounced down the steps before spinning to a halt.  
  
"Harry, what?" Ron whispered urgently to him. Harry raised a shaking hand and pointed through the gap, and the rest of the school and the teachers, who had been looking at him, all turned around. The screams the followed were some of the worst and most foreboding sounds that Harry had ever heard.  
  
Glowing an eerie green colour, hovering just above the tallest buildings of Hogsmeade, it leered at them. The fires of Hogsmeade were burning and Dementors and Giants were running around beneath Voldemort's sign.  
  
The Dark Mark had appeared over Hogsmeade. 


	32. Voldemort's Army

Chapter 32 - Voldemort's Army  
  
The screams swelled into a crescendo that must have carried to the carnage of Hogsmeade, for the Giants, Dementors and Death Eaters looked up towards the castle. And then Harry saw him. He let out a yell of pain as his scar erupted into life on his forehead, and he bent to his knees, a few people saw Harry fall, but none was spurred into action, except Harry felt Dumbledore's thin hands helping him to his feet. Harry looked back again at Hogsmeade.  
  
Voldemort was right at the front. He had obviously come down from Sirius' old cave, and now he was at the Hogwarts gates. He yelled something, and his Death Eaters marched forwards in ranks. There were many of them, at least fifty and probably more, and they walked forwards in a straight line, their wands raised and pulling the ever-growing Dark Mark following them in the sky.  
  
They fanned out slightly as they marched up the Hogwarts lawns towards the Quidditch grounds. By now, the Dementors were gliding softly in the air above the Death Eaters, and the Giants marched heavily behind, their huge strides beating a steady marching beat on the ground.  
  
Dumbledore helped Harry, still clutching his Firebolt, to move off the stand, and the two of them walked through the crowd towards the front. This Harry could understand: it was to embolden and encourage the others. Harry felt compelled to follow Dumbledore's lead, and he called out above the yells and explosions that still came from Hogsmeade.  
  
"Forward the D.A!" He yelled it as loudly as he could, and he was surprised and relieved when the D.A came forwards. They walked forwards, equal now in number to the Death Eaters at least, and they heard some murmuring from the crowd, sounds of hope. The D.A lined up in front of the Quidditch crowd, with the teachers also gathering at the front. Mr Diggory nodded briefly at Harry, his face grimly set, and Harry understood: he wanted vengeance.  
  
Fawkes swooped down out of the sky and alighted on Dumbledore's shoulder. Dumbledore whispered something, and Fawkes took off in a flash of fire. By now the whole of Voldemort's army was almost inside the Hogwarts grounds, except for the Giants. To the school's horror, they were tearing apart the school gates, using their brute strength to wrench them apart. This was obviously a ploy to scare the school students, one that had obviously worked, for Harry could hear many of the girls screaming in terror.  
  
He suddenly realised something, and he stretched out an arm and put around Ginny's shaking shoulders. "Don't worry Ginny," he said, although his heart was quailing with fear and anxiety, "You'll be alright."  
  
"It is not me I worry for," she said tearfully, "it is you, and everyone else I hold dear."  
  
Harry held her tighter in his arms, his heart thudding painfully in his chest as the full realisation of what was about to happen, what could happen. He looked over at Ron and Hermione, who were also standing very close to each other, he felt a huge pang in his heart, what if he was never to see them again? He beckoned them over and hugged Hermione hard, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything to Ron. They both just looked at each other for a long time and nodded. And Harry felt tears welling up in his eyes as another truth, a happier truth hit him: these people would be his friends for life, and they were prepared to die for him. This thought overwhelmed him and Harry felt as powerful and emotion as he thought possible, which soon changed to hate, as he looked up at Voldemort.  
  
All this misery... all this suffering... it was down to that man who was walking up towards the Quidditch pitch. The school had backed away and half the pitch was empty, and Voldemort, followed by his army, entered the stadium. They fanned out, spreading across the stadium, their wands out in front of them, laughing behind their hooded masks. Voldemort stopped opposite Harry and Dumbledore, about twenty feet away, and he sneered at them as the last of the Death Eaters entered the stadium. They seemed to be a huge number of them now, and the sky above them was filled with the swishing black cloaks of the Dementors. The Giants, who had now finished their destruction of the gates, stood by the exits.  
  
"Harry," Dumbledore whispered softly, drawing his wand and placing it across Harry's own in an X shape, "on the count of three say, "Protegetto," ok?" Harry nodded. "One... Two... Three..."  
  
"Protegetto!" Harry almost recoiled in surprise as from his and Dumbledore's wands; a huge blue shape had erupted from them. It had a similar form to the mixture inside a penseive, and it formed itself into a huge arcing barrier, which bent back over their heads like a force field. Harry heard other adults along the front row add their power to it.  
  
Voldemort sneered and let out a mocking cough for attention. "Well, well, well..." he said tauntingly, "Dumbledore and his pet." He waited for the Dementors to have a hearty laugh at this before continuing. "I suppose you won't be one to surrender would you Albus? And would you like to join me, Harry?"  
  
Harry had had enough; he made to step forwards but felt Dumbledore's restraining hand. "I cannot protect you outside this shield," he said quietly. "It will protect all but the worst spells." Dumbledore turned his attention to Voldemort, who he looked at with cold fury. "You should not be here Tom. Leave here now and I will not stop you."  
  
Voldemort let out a jeering laugh. "And why would I do that when there is such good sport to be had here?" He let out a cruel mocking laugh that made Harry's scar shudder with pain. "Surely you do not look to challenge me?"  
  
"We will defeat you Voldemort!" It was not Dumbledore's voice, but a girl's. Harry looked around to see Hermione standing forwards, her voice loud and bold. As one, a spontaneous cheer erupted from the D.A and the school, and Harry saw Voldemort's smile slide from his face, although the Death Eater next to him let out a loud high pitched laugh that Harry vaguely recognised, and then Bellatrix Lestrange spoke.  
  
"You insolent girl!" She laughed loudly, a bitter, twisted sound. "You dare not challenge the Lord of all!"  
  
"Acquired another title have you – Voldemort?" Hermione had spoken again, as scathingly as she could.  
  
"Be quiet Mudblood," he said angrily, though Harry could see that some of the Death Eaters were rattled by this fierce response. "Maybe I should recall some more to my cause then? Come to me, my faithful servants..."  
  
Harry looked at Dumbledore, who had a resigned look on his face, and then Harry looked around at the school. The Slytherins were moving forward. Harry couldn't see Malfoy, and he could see that some were staying still, but a lot of the Slytherins started to walk past the rest of the school.  
  
There was stunned silence. Voldemort's ranks swelled to about a hundred, but Dumbledore let them all pass. He looked at them sadly and none of them would look in his face, but they strode out of the force field and into Voldemort's waiting ranks. A few adults beckoned to their children, but Harry could see a form he recognised as Lucius Malfoy looking around for his son.  
  
"Now will you take on my faithful servants Albus?" Voldemort laughed, and the sound struck fear into the hearts of the defenders, but they held their ground firmly.  
  
Dumbledore raised his voice. "You shall not harm anyone in this school Tom!" he said thunderously, his old form shaking with a rage Harry had never seen before. Professor Sprout? Get the younger members of the school inside."  
  
Harry watched as behind her some of the school started to move back inside, but this was the final straw for Voldemort.  
  
"Then you have chosen death Albus! We will show you no quarter!"  
  
And with that, Harry saw a jet of red light emerge from Voldemort's wand and it slammed into the force field. The Death Eaters charged forwards with a howl of fury, and burst through the field.  
  
The battle had begun. 


	33. The Battle on the Quidditch Field

Chapter 33 - The Battle On The Quidditch Field  
  
They came at Harry and Dumbledore. All the Death Eaters wanted was to kill the two of them, the people they most despised and so, with Voldemort at the front, they charged forward. But for every Death Eater there was a member of the D.A. Harry had his wand out and was firing stunning spells as along the row the D.A followed his lead. Harry felt a surge of pride as the red beams shot forward, some being blocked by shield charms, but many finding there targets. Harry watched his shoot an unawares Bellatrix Lestrange back into Lucius Malfoy, who had still been looking for his son.  
  
Harry heard Voldemort cry out. "Crucio!" he screamed, and Harry only just ducked in time.  
  
"Impedimenta!" Ron bellowed back at him, and Voldemort only just blocked it. Voldemort turned his attention to Ron.  
  
"Avada Kedavra!" A flash of green light shot forward, but Harry, who had been crouching low, dived at Ron the minute Voldemort started speaking. He saw the flash of green light whip over his head and crash into the Quidditch post behind him. Harry turned and watched as it started to tilt... the huge golden hoop came crashing downwards, and Ginny managed to move so that she was in the middle of the hoop, and remained unharmed.  
  
"You ok Ginny?" Harry yelled, but over the maelstrom of spells and explosions she didn't hear him.  
  
Dumbledore and Voldemort were now duelling. Enraged at Voldemort's attacks on his students, Dumbledore had strode forth and was now attacking Voldemort on all flanks. Voldemort grabbed a Death Eater near him and shoved him in front of Dumbledore, the Death Eater crumpled to the followed with one swish of Dumbledore's wand.  
  
Harry spotted movement behind the Death Eaters, and he could see the Giants and the Dementors waiting behind the Death Eaters. But behind them he could see something else...  
  
Out of the forest they came, in huge numbers and Harry felt emboldened for they were followed by another enormous figure, who was accompanied by another, slightly smaller man.  
  
"Ron!" he said excitedly. "The centaurs! The centaurs are coming! And there is Grawp and Hagrid!" The centaurs seemed to be focusing on the Giants, for they charged at them, their hooves causing a huge drum roll on the ground, which made many people look around. They had bows and arrows, for their magic was limited, and they used these to deadly effect. They flew at the Giants, who turned around and roared with pain and confusion. They blundered at the centaurs, who quickly evaded them by running in between their legs.  
  
Ron grabbed Harry's arm. "Harry, look!" He was pointing upwards, away from the centaurs, to where the Slytherin Quidditch players were raining spells down on helpless defenders. Harry nodded at Ron and he yelled to the D.A.  
  
"Leanne, Ginny, Jack?" he yelled out. "Lavender and Colin? Up!"  
  
They all heard somehow and they mounted their brooms and kicked off into the sky. Harry led them up and round and they faced the Slytherin team. Harry and Ron approached Crabbe and Goyle, an easy pair.  
  
"Impedimenta!" Harry yelled. Crabbed tumbled backwards off his broom, and he lay still on the grass where he had landed.  
  
"Stupefy!" Ron shouted beside him. Goyle likewise fell backwards off his broom, stunned, and he landed with a sickening thud next to Crabbe. Harry nodded encouragingly at Ron, and they turned to help the others. Ron went to the aid of Lavender and Colin, who were taking on the Slytherin keeper. Harry on the other hand went to help Leanne, Jack and Ginny.  
  
It didn't look good. Leanne was clinging onto the back of Ginny, as he broom had been reduced to dust with the Reductor curse. Jack was nowhere to be soon, although Harry soon spotted him clinging to one of the stands. One of his arms hung limply by his sides. Two of the Slytherin chasers were menacing Ginny; the third was lying unconscious on the floor beneath Jack. Harry decided Jack needed his help more – his hand looked like giving way. Harry landed on the stand and helped him up next to him. Without saying anything, Harry scrambled back onto his Firebolt and, bending low, he shot forwards on his broom.  
  
He shot a red stunning spell at one of the chasers from behind. They fell from their broom and landed on top of another Death Eater beneath them. Harry turned and shot another spell at the last chaser. He started to fall off his broom, but Harry felt his heart go still as he watched another stunning spell hit Ginny in the stomach.  
  
Her face went pale as she started to slide off the side of the broom: Leanne made a desperate grab for her but missed, and Ginny was suddenly plummeting towards the Earth. Harry felt his heart drop with her, and he dived down on his Firebolt to catch her. He was right next to her, he'd catch her, he reached out his arms...  
  
THUD. Harry felt an immense pain fill his right shoulder: A stray centaur arrow had hit it, he was knocked backwards... away from Ginny... She was going to crash...  
  
She hit the ground and lay very still. Harry let out an anguished yell and he thought that he had never seen anything so sad. He quickly transformed into a Phoenix and, clutching his Firebolt with his other foot, he gently lifted Ginny by the shoulder and carried her out to the back of the field, where people were still going inside. He transformed back and many girls let out a gasp of surprise. Harry didn't let them speak.  
  
"Take care of her, will you?" he said urgently. The girls nodded mutely, although one of them was now eyeing Harry with a definite interest, and Harry left. He ran back through the crowds that had nearly entered Hogwarts. Most of those inside were in the Great Hall, which was being guarded by Professor Sprout and Professor Flitwick, both of whom were urging the pupils inside.  
  
Harry worked his way back towards the front line, his wand at the ready and his heart beating fast. He found Hermione quickly; she had just stunned and bound a Death Eater quickly and effectively. She turned to face him.  
  
"Harry, I-" She began, but Harry cut her off.  
  
"Hermione," he said quickly, "go inside and get everyone in the Great Hall to move up to the Gryffindor common room. It'll be small, but if we all come inside now they will be sitting ducks in there."  
  
Hermione, who had looked ready to argue, noticed the angry glint in Harry's eyes, and she nodded and ran off towards the castle. Harry turned around just in time to dodge a stunning spell from MacNair.  
  
"Come out to play have we Potter?" he said, his evil eyes glinting from behind his mask. Harry didn't hesitate.  
  
"Impeditia!" he bellowed, his wand pointing MacNair. The Death Eater wasn't quick enough. Harry's spell struck him and he flew back twenty-foot before slamming into a Quidditch stand. The wood snapped easily, and Harry watched, horror struck, as the stand collapse on top of MacNair. Harry saw him make a feeble bid to stand up, but then a piece of stand came slamming down on top of him. No one could have survived that.  
  
Harry was rooted to the spot for a second – he had not meant to kill him – but he HAD killed him... then he realised something. This was a war, he thought, and there were going to be casualties.  
  
He looked passed the Giants and saw a sight which gladdened his heart. Arthur, Fred, George, Bill and Charlie Weasley were tearing up the Hogwarts lawns, around the centaurs, and behind them were Remus Lupin, and about ten other Order members. Behind them were the Aurors, who fanned out around the Giants to take them down. However, as the Order members came up from one side, the Dementors started to move forward.  
  
Harry realised that this danger had to go instantly. "Dumbledore's Army!" he yelled as loudly as his voice could go. "To me Dumbledore's army! Patronuses on three! Three... two... one..." Harry focused on his memory of being with Ginny outside the chasm of life as hard as he could.  
  
As one, the whole of Dumbledore's Army yelled the spell. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" The sound shook throughout the stadium, but it was nothing compared to the sonic waves that flew from their wands. Harry's stag Patronus charged into the sky at the Dementors, leading the other fifty or so various Patronuses into battle.  
  
It was beautiful. The Patronuses rounded up the Dementors, who tried to fight, but found Patronuses on all sides. All those on the pitch couldn't help it. They looked to watch the fantastic sight of the Dementors being forced to flee by the Patronuses. Their white forms chased them out of sight, and Harry felt sure they would not be back.  
  
On the ground however, the victory was not so complete. Despite the appearance of many Aurors, Order members and assorted Weasleys, the group defending were still out numbered heavily. The Giants particularly were proving stubborn opposition, with their still being about fifteen of the original twenty still standing. Centaur casualties were becoming heavy, but Harry saw Firenze and Bane both leading in a fresh assault on a newly fallen Giant.  
  
Sheer weight of numbers would always win. Dumbledore, who was still duelling with Voldemort, called over the maelstrom. "Back to the castle everyone, we will be able to defend better from there."  
  
Harry took up the cry. "Retreat! Back to the castle!" Harry started to walk backwards, still firing stunning spells towards the Death Eaters. He made sure that behind him everyone, save for the Aurors who were on the far side of the Death Eaters, were inside. He ushered the Weasleys and Remus inside, before quickly closing the door on Dumbledore's instruction as he entered the castle. He had been able to retreat, as he had set up an invisible trip rope that had got Voldemort onto the floor.  
  
"The Aurors will be ok, won't they?" said Harry quietly.  
  
"Oh yes, do not worry," said Mr Weasley in an assuring voice. "They're trained to deal with these situations."  
  
And then, as all had gone quiet for a moment, the door was knocked back off its hinges with a huge explosion of dust and rubble. Voldemort had entered Hogwarts. 


	34. The Duel in the Great Hall

Maybe this chapter should be rated PG-13...  
  
Chapter 34 – The Duel in the Great Hall  
  
"My dear Harry!" he said jovially, standing triumphantly on the rubble. "How nice it is to see you again."  
  
Harry felt Dumbledore's restraining hand on his back. "Leave now Tom," he said quietly, his frail form emanating power.  
  
"I knew I'd come back someday," said Voldemort, who took a step forward, and looked around at the old castle walls with an expression that Harry could only describe as warmth. Or at least, as much warmth as you could expect from such an evil man.  
  
However, as soon as Voldemort had stepped forward, so had Dumbledore, wand raised. "Leave now Tom," he repeated quietly. "I won't ask again."  
  
Voldemort drew his own wand, and behind him, forty or so Death Eaters did the same. Harry, the Weasleys, the Order and the remaining D.A did likewise. Voldemort let out a sneering laugh, but his Death Eaters could not resist any longer. Howling, they leapt out of the shadows.  
  
Harry saw two fall at a wave of Dumbledore's wand, but Harry's eyes were fixed on the Death Eater behind Voldemort. She had killed Sirius. Harry leapt forward to duel her.  
  
"Ooh the wee bitty Potter thinks he's strong enough now does he?" she taunted, and she knocked him backward with a flick of her wand. Harry fell back out of the melee, but Bellatrix Lestrange followed him.  
  
"You killed him," said Harry, his face set with cold fury and determination. "I'll make you pay for what you've done. I'll get you back for Neville, for Remus, and for me!"  
  
Her eyes widened at this determination from Harry, but she blocked his stunning spell easily. Harry rained spells down on her, recalling anything and everything he could call to mind at the moment. She blocked with equal fury. Harry forced her back away from the battle; nearby only Colin Creevey was duelling another Death Eater.  
  
Harry and Bellatrix entered the Entrance Hall. Harry could see that the Great Hall, off to one side, was empty except for the watching ghosts, who were yelling encouragement to Harry. Even the Bloody Baron and Peeves were there, egging him on trying to help him.  
  
By this time Bellatrix was fighting back. She had shot off a few of her own spells, and Harry was forced to dive onto the stairs to avoid a killing curse. As Harry was face down, Colin Creevey, who had obviously dispatched his early Death Eater, came forward to get Bellatrix. Harry rose to his feet and turned around as Bellatrix had just blocked Colin's spell.  
  
"Avada Kedavra!" She yelled. Harry let out a cry of shock as there was flash of green light and his head exploded in pain. He sank to his knees and through his tear-strewn eyes he saw Colin fall limply onto the floor. He was dead.  
  
"I'll kill you!" yelled Harry, and he turned his wand on her.  
  
"Avada Kedavra!" he bellowed. A flash of green erupted from his wand, but Bellatrix had dived out the way. Behind her mask her eyes narrowed at Harry, and she ran into the Great Hall. Harry thought for a moment about chasing her, but he heard footsteps both high above him and below him.  
  
Before he could turn and face the person approaching a story or two up, he saw the Death Eater at the bottom of the stairs.  
  
"Impeditia!" the Death Eater yelled, his voice strangely familiar... However his wand had not been aimed at Harry, but had hit the person behind him. Harry looked up and to his horror, heard the scream as a girl's form was knocked off the stairs a full three floors up. Harry lunged to grab her, but she landed on her front with a sickening crack on the stone floor and lay twitching.  
  
Harry snarled with anger and quickly stunned and bound the Death Eater. Harry thought for a moment about going to the girl, but he saw Bellatrix Lestrange fire a spell at him from inside the Great Hall, and he raced towards it. Before he entered, he noticed that no one was left in the rubble of the entranceway, although he recognised the prone form of Professor McGonagall lying face down amidst a circle of Death Eaters. Harry did not want to leave her, but he had to follow Bellatrix into the Hall.  
  
The first thing he registered was that only two people were duelling. The Death Eaters were standing at the far end of the hall, and the Order members at the nearest. Standing on one of the house tables, at the far end, was Voldemort, and he was facing Dumbledore. Bellatrix ran forward and stood up on the far end of the table next to Voldemort. Harry guessed she was like a second in command, if that were possible with Voldemort. Harry ignored the Order members, and climbed up onto the table facing Bellatrix.  
  
"Ah, so we're all hear then Albus," said Voldemort coolly. "Is this what you want? To try and "save the bloodshed?" For you will not beat me Albus, now that I have the power to destroy Potter..." he laughed his terrible cruel laugh and the other Death Eaters laughed loudly too.  
  
Dumbledore turned to Harry. "You know what to do," he said quietly, and at this Voldemort let out another laugh, but Dumbledore kept on talking quietly to Harry. "If she tries to kill you, transform into a Phoenix and save yourself."  
  
At this Voldemort was riveted and he wasn't the only one. At both ends of the hall small gasps had been let out. "Don't tell me you're an Animagus, Harry?" Voldemort said derisively. "Oh do give us a demonstration!" Harry shot Voldemort a glare that told him exactly what he thought of that. "Oh well..." Voldemort sighed softly, before turning his attention to Dumbledore. "And so we begin."  
  
Voldemort and Dumbledore began duelling so quickly that Harry was sure they had no control of their wands, but Harry couldn't pay attention to them. He turned his gaze, and his anger, towards the woman who was standing in front of him. Bellatrix held her wand forward in a classic stance, and fired a stunning spell.  
  
"Stupefy!" she yelled.  
  
"Protego!" Harry had responded so quickly that the spell bounced back towards her, and she had to duck to avoid it. "Impeditia!" Harry cried out. She blocked his spell so fast that it came hurtling back towards Harry, who had to pirouette to one side to avoid the beam of light. He fell from the table, and the Death Eaters laughed.  
  
"Reducto!" Harry bellowed, aiming at the nearest part of the long table he could see. The whole table exploded in a shower of sawdust and wood, and Bellatrix fell with a howl and she fell sideways, and her head hit the floor, and she lay limply unconscious.  
  
Seeing that Bellatrix was down, Harry turned to help Dumbledore. He ran over just as Voldemort managed to fire a killing curse at Dumbledore, which Harry knew Dumbledore wouldn't avoid. Like he had earlier with Ron, he dived at Dumbledore and the two of them flew off the table and landed on top of the next table. Harry's momentum kept him going and he rolled onto the floor behind the table.  
  
This was too much for the Death Eaters. Incensed, they leapt from their end of the hall towards Harry and Dumbledore, but Aurors and Order members, and the remnants of the D.A met them. Most of the D.A was still there, save for the now deceased Colin Creevey, Hermione (who Harry assumed was still in the Gryffindor Common room with the others), and Ginny who Harry hoped was safe with the girls he had entrusted her to.  
  
The battle raged again once more, and Harry saw the Weasley twins fighting desperately into the furore, there once comedy spells now being replaced by deadly stunning spells.  
  
Harry got to his feet and he turned to face Voldemort. "It ends now." The words carried many years of pain and suffering that did not belong just to him, and Harry felt emboldened... somehow he knew that his parents were there with him, helping him, guiding him.  
  
"Stupefy!" he bellowed, his red beam blasting out of his wand with all the force Harry could muster. Even Voldemort could not block something of that power, and he was sent flying metres backwards and he toppled off the back of the table. Incensed, he rose to his feet and clicked his fingers, and Harry felt ropes twist themselves around him. Harry closed his eyes in concentration and the ropes burst apart around him.  
  
He saw Voldemort preparing himself for the kill. "Avada Kedavra!" those tortuous words were screeched to the night, and Harry knew it was too late, his body drained of energy he would not be able to fight anymore... he raised his eyes to see the green beam coming towards him...  
  
He felt a huge force shudder into his side and he sent flying from the table. But he wasn't dead... he opened his eyes and saw that someone had dived towards him to knock him out the way. The girl raised her head to him. It was Cho.  
  
"Oh Harry, are you all right?" she asked tearfully.  
  
"Yeah," said Harry, dumbfounded.  
  
"I just had to say sorry for all of the things I've done this year..." she said, and she sniffed. But this was not the time. Harry raised himself to his feet, and then he saw something that made his heart stand still.  
  
Behind Cho, Voldemort's wand swished down. The whole world seemed to go quiet, and as if in slow motion, a green jet of light whooshed towards them. Harry made to move Cho out of the way, to take the hit, but it was too late. She died instantly, her lifeless eyes still looking into Harry's. Harry let out a sob of horror, and he placed her body gently on the floor, but too late he turned to see Voldemort raise his wand once more.  
  
"Crucio," he said calmly. Harry once again found himself under the immense pain of the Cruciatus curse. He felt like his whole body was being stabbed repeatedly over and over. But then a clear image of Sirius and his parents burst into his mind, and then Harry saw Voldemort in his head. All his hatred came pounding, throbbing through him like some fatal beat, and he felt the curse lifted and, to his astonishment, he saw Voldemort twitching under the curse. He watched with a kind of savage pleasure as Voldemort writhed under a curse that Harry felt sure he had never felt before, and Harry somehow also knew that if any other person had tried it, it would have failed.  
  
Harry kept watching, unsure as to whether to lift the curse and perform another, deadlier one, or to let Voldemort suffer for all the pain he had caused. His indecision cost him dear.  
  
"Impedimenta!" Harry recognised Lucius Malfoy's voice and saw the hooded Death Eater advancing down on him as the curse struck him, and he flew backwards through the air and hit the wall before crashing down onto the floor. Harry raised his aching body upward to face his predicament.  
  
Lucius Malfoy was bearing down on him, as behind him Voldemort got to his feet. Dumbledore leapt forward to challenge Voldemort, and this managed to stop his advance on Harry. Lucius Malfoy raised his wand.  
  
"Avada..." but he didn't finish the curse. For a small body had slammed itself into the tall slender form of the Death Eater, who fell heavily to the floor. Harry recognised the blonde hair and Draco Malfoy's voice as he looked down on his father.  
  
"Sorry father," he said. "Petrificus totalus!" The tall shape of Lucius Malfoy went limp, and Malfoy turned to face Harry, but Harry was distracted.  
  
Bellatrix Lestrange had got to her feet, out of the small rubble that was the table Harry had destroyed. "Why you insolent pup!" she squealed angrily. "Crucio!" Harry watched as Malfoy fell under the curse and he leapt forwards.  
  
He felt anger coursing through his veins: anger at the death of his parents, anger at the death of Colin Creevey, anger at the death of his godfather Sirius Black, anger at the torture of the Longbottoms and now anger at her torturing Malfoy. He raised his wand, knowing in his heart, that this world would be better without this foul excuse for a human being in front of him.  
  
"Avada Kedavra!" A flash of green light erupted from Harry's wand and Harry saw Bellatrix's eyes widen in shock as the curse took her full in the stomach. She crumpled where she had stood and moved no more.  
  
The fighting seemed to stop. Harry stood alongside Dumbledore, the entire Order now standing behind them. Opposite them, beyond the still form of Bellatrix Lestrange stood Voldemort. He was clearly enraged, but he was no fool. He would not win this fight.  
  
"We shall return for what is ours Albus!" he yelled shrilly and he let out a not too convincing laugh. Behind his back, he blew away part of the entrance hall wall, and the Order members all ducked as the rubble flew. By the time it had cleared, there were no Death Eaters left in the hall.  
  
Harry ran to the gaping hole in the wall and he saw them, running through the grounds as their lives depended on it. There were about twenty left, and Harry would have gone after them, but five giants were defending from behind. Harry felt Dumbledore's arm on his shoulder, and he sat down with his back to the wall.  
  
"Don't worry Harry," said Dumbledore's calm voice. "For the time being at least, it is over." 


	35. Counting the Cost

Sorry, but the casualties aren't quite done...  
  
Chapter 35 - Counting the Cost  
  
Harry rose gingerly to his feet, where he swayed on the spot. It was over, Voldemort had been beaten and he had retreated. Relief swept over him in such quantities that it was almost dizzying, but then, as he looked round the hall, it was overhauled by another emotion: sadness.  
  
Cho Chang's body still lay over in the corner where she had fallen. Her soft black hair hung like a beautiful veil across her face, and her lifeless eyes stared out in the grimness of Death. Harry felt racked with grief as his eyes continued their tour of the room. Over in one corner, Harry could see the captured Death Eaters were sitting, many were unconscious, though some were sitting upright and looking fearful. There were eight of them in total, but Harry's eye met those of Lucius Malfoy. His lip curled at Harry and then he turned a spiteful gaze at his son, who was still lying on the floor.  
  
Then Harry's eyes fell on another pair of figures. One was Kingsley Shacklebolt, and he was bending over the limp form of Remus Lupin.  
  
"Remus!" Harry yelled, and he leapt out of Dumbledore's reach and over to his former Professor. "Remus!"  
  
"Calm yourself Harry," came Kingsley's deep, steady voice. "He is hurt, quite badly, but he is not dead. Look! His chest moves."  
  
Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "We should get him to Madam Pomfrey," Dumbledore said quietly, obviously also relieved at Lupin not being dead. "Where is Minerva?"  
  
Dumbledore was looking around for Professor McGonagall. "She's out there Professor," said Harry quietly. "She didn't look good."  
  
Dumbledore strode off out of the hall, and Harry followed suit. Harry found him crouching over Professor McGonagall, who was miraculously awake. She was clutching her side slightly, but she sat upright all the same.  
  
"What happened?" she said alarmed, "And where is Voldemort?"  
  
"Hush, my dear Professor," Dumbledore said mildly, and Harry saw his mouth twitch into one of the brightest smiles he had ever seen from Dumbledore. "You are safe. Voldemort has gone. He will not challenge Hogwarts again."  
  
Professor McGonagall narrowed her eyes as she examined Dumbledore piercingly. She spoke almost in a whisper. "Who have we lost?" She said it quietly, and Dumbledore looked away. Harry saw that there was a tear trickling into this fine silver beard.  
  
"We have lost several wonderful people," he said, his face contorted with sadness and anger. "I am sorry to be the one to tell you this, and I wish it were not true, but Professor Sprout died defending the pupils entering the school, when she was hit by a stray spell from a Death Eater."  
  
Professor McGonagall and Harry both blanched. "Oh no!" Professor McGonagall wailed, and she let out started sobbing into her robe sleeve. Harry stood there in numb shock as this was going on: shock at the death of his Herbology teacher, but also at the effect it had had on Professor McGonagall, who tried to never show emotion if she could help it. Once she had gained control again, she spoke again.  
  
"Who else?" she asked quietly, and Harry was already dreading the answer he would have to give.  
  
Dumbledore sighed heavily. "From Gryffindor House, Colin Creevey and Lavender and from Ravenclaw Cho Chang. Remus and Draco Malfoy are both injured, and many of the Order and Aurors are as of yet, unaccounted for."  
  
Harry let out a gasp of horror. Lavender? He didn't know that she had died too, and he felt a fresh pang of guilt and horror form in his gut.  
  
"How did Lavender die?" he croaked.  
  
"She was knocked off her broomstick, and she landed on her back." He was direct, but he could not look Harry in the eye. "She did not suffer."  
  
Harry could not take this, and he sank to his knees, ravaged by sorrow and guilt. "It's all my fault..." he whispered to himself, his face buried in his hands. "It's all my fault!" he cried these last words out and felt hot tears of pain and grief rip themselves out of his eyes as he remember his friend. He remembered her taking off on the broom, prepared to do what she must... then another thought crossed his mind suddenly.  
  
"Ginny," he said suddenly, standing up. "Where is she, is she ok?"  
  
Dumbledore gave Harry as close to a smile as he could manage in the circumstances. "She will be fine, Harry," he said gently. "You may see her if you like."  
  
Harry nodded gratefully, before looking around. "Where is Ron?" he asked suddenly. In answer to his question, there came a sob from further down the hall, by the stairs.  
  
Harry turned and ran towards them, the Death Eater was still there, bound, half hidden in the shadows of the corner where Harry had left him. He heard Ron's voice cracking with emotion before he turned the corner.  
  
"No... No. I couldn't, no..." Harry turned the corner, and saw Ron's ginger covered head bent low, and he could hear Ron's sobs. Beneath him, was a sight that Harry would not forget to the end of his days.  
  
The girl who lay there, who had fallen from several stories up, was Hermione. Her bushy brown hair lay strewn over her shoulders, but it was stained with the blood that coursed out of her hair like a river of red. Her arms hung limply by the side, one at an awkward angle, and each breath she took was laboured.  
  
Harry's shaking legs just about carried him to the other side of her, but there they collapsed under him, and he sank to his knees beside her. Ron looked up at Harry, and Harry saw that his eyes had huge marks under them and he was weeping. Harry fought back his own tears and looked down at Hermione. She smiled up at him.  
  
"And now it is perfect..." her voice was almost a whisper, a shadow of the former confident voice that had so many times confidently answered questions in class. She took another deep breath and Harry saw that there were tears of pain and sorrow in her eyes. "Perfect... I'm so glad you're here Harry... at the end of all things..." She coughed and Harry's heart wrenched with sorrow. He took hold of her hand; the hand that had shot into the air faster than any other student at Hogwarts had for many years.  
  
"I'm here." It was the only words that Harry could manage, and after he had said it he closed his mouth sharply; he thought he would be sick.  
  
Hermione squeezed his hand with all the strength she could muster. "Don't be sad," she said quietly, her tear filled eyes looking deeply into his own. "You are both with me. My two greatest friends... here with me when I go... perfect..." she repeated that word softly and Harry raised the corners of his mouth in the most reassuring way he could manage. Hermione appreciated the gesture.  
  
"You'll be ok..." said Ron in a falsely cheerful voice, "come on, Madame Pomfrey will be right here..." But Harry could tell his heart wasn't in it. Harry's eyes met Ron's again, but this was not one of those amused glances they had so often shared. Indeed, Ron's eyes showed deeper grief then Harry had seen on a living soul before.  
  
"Ron," Hermione said softly, and Harry could see her strength waning. "I love you Ron, and I will never forget you. Nor you Harry. You two have stood by me through all these years, and I will never forget it." She coughed sadly. "Take care of Ron, Harry. I know you will. You have always taken care of us. Did you beat Voldemort?"  
  
Harry looked at Ron, and then up the tall form of Professor Dumbledore, who had an arm around Professor McGonagall, whose face was buried in his chest, sobbing softly. He turned back to face Hermione.  
  
"Yeah," he said softly. "He's gone." Hermione sighed softly and tilted her head back and closed her eyes. For a horrible moment Harry thought that the dreaded moment had come, but she opened them again, her intelligent, full brown eyes taking in the castle, and the people around her.  
  
"I have loved every minute at this place," she said, in a slightly husky voice, and Harry could see that now, although the pain seemed to be subsiding, she was slipping away from them. "And I have loved everyone in it, although none more so than you two." She turned to Harry for the last time.  
  
"I don't know how much longer I can hold on Harry," she said, her eyes suddenly fearful. "Tell my family I love them. I will look for Sirius and your parents, Harry. And I will wait for you. I will find some way to speak to you from the next realm. I will wait for you."  
  
She turned her eyes back to Ron, and Harry gulped back the immense surge of love and pride he felt for this amazing witch that lay before him. She drew another deep, ragged breath.  
  
"I'll wait for you Ron," she said, her voice now fading even more. "I want you to enjoy life, and remember me, but not to let that worry you. I want you to love, and be happy, and not grieve. My love for you is eternal. But now, in my home, with my best friends, I must leave you. I will be with you always." She drew a last, heart-wrenching, shuddering breath, and lay still.  
  
Ron let out a howl of pain and agony, and more terrible a sound Harry had never heard. He watched Ron place his head in his hands and weep unrestrainedly, but the image blurred with his own sudden tears. As one, they both got to their feet and, with Hermione's body still below them, they embraced as brothers.  
  
Ron sobbed into Harry's shoulder and they stood there, united in grief for longer then Harry could say. They held onto each other, both unable to let go their grief for a long time. Ron pulled back, and Harry saw the deep sadness in his eyes change.  
  
"Where is he?" he said, his voice shuddering with emotion and range. "The one who did this?"  
  
Harry turned around to face the long-forgotten Death Eater. Harry and Ron advanced on him, wands raised. Dumbledore didn't try to stop them. But suddenly Ron dropped his wand on the floor and started punching the Death Eater, who tried to recoil but couldn't, still bound by Harry's spell.  
  
"YOU KILLED HER!" Ron yelled. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU FACE TO FACE, UNLIKE YOU DID TO HER!"  
  
Harry stepped forward and pulled Ron off, before grabbing the top part of the Death Eaters mask. He pulled it upwards and both he and Ron reeled backwards in utter shock. Harry gasped.  
  
"You!"  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------  
  
Author's note: Just to say that was easily the hardest chapter I've ever had to write. It was one of the hardest decisions to make as well. She was a great character whom, like Harry's parents, and Sirius, will not be forgotten. 


	36. Draco Malfoy, Severus Snape and Percy We...

Chapter 36 - Draco Malfoy, Severus Snape and Percy Weasley  
  
It was Percy Weasley. Percy, the boy who had been prefect and Head Boy. Percy, one of a family who had so lovingly taken Harry in. Percy, a Death Eater? Harry couldn't take it in. He and Ron reeled backwards, unsure whether this was real or some sort of mirage. Behind them, Professor McGonagall blanched in shock, and even Professor Dumbledore's eyes widened in astonishment, though he covered this quickly.  
  
"You?" Ron repeated the word Harry had said. "But... but..." Harry knew exactly what Ron was thinking, that it was impossible, and it couldn't be so, but Harry knew Percy had always been ambitious. Harry took a tighter grip on Ron's arm as Ron leapt forward.  
  
"My own brother!" he yelled hysterically, desperately fighting Harry's grip. "Get off me Harry, I want to kill him with my own hands..." He took another step towards Percy, but then Dumbledore strode over and helped Harry move Ron backwards. Dumbledore whispered something to Kingsley, who was nearby, and the Auror walked into the great hall. Dumbledore approached Percy, took his wand, before releasing him from the full spell.  
  
Percy stretched out slightly, his ginger hair greasy with sweat, but his face pale and set. He sat and looked stubbornly at Ron and Harry, and then his eyes swivelled onto Professor Dumbledore, and through his numb shock, Harry saw a flicker of fear.  
  
Dumbledore gave him one word. "Why?"  
  
"I will not talk to you Dumbledore!" Percy sneered pompously. "You or you're other fools who think they are right!" At that, Kingsley returned with a small vial in his hand, which Harry instantly recognised as Veritaserum.  
  
"Oh but you will," murmured Dumbledore quietly. Percy saw the bottle and started to struggle, but a simple flick of the wand from Dumbledore and he took a big swallow of the potion. Dumbledore waited a few seconds before asking again.  
  
"Why?" his tone was flat, but Harry could hear a note of rage bubbling away, which Dumbledore was obviously suppressing. Harry was also fuming, the day's intense sorrow and grief threatening to spill over at any second.  
  
"Because I was fed up of obeying rules," Percy replied. Harry recognised the tone of voice that the Veritaserum inflicted, like when Barty Crouch had been under its influence in Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts. Percy continued. "He came for me in person at the end of last year, almost straight after his return was made public. He showed me what I could become, the power I could wield, the rewards I could get..."  
  
Harry felt sickened at the rapt expression on Percy face and the uncanny resemblance to Barty Crouch. Ron was looking at him with an expression Harry could only describe as loathing, and even Dumbledore's mounting anger was beginning to show, but he kept his next question level.  
  
"How did you help him?" Dumbledore asked quietly.  
  
Percy's smile broadened. "He asked me if I would carry out one of the most important operations in his ascendancy to Lord of the earth." Percy's voice, though still flattened by the Veritaserum, still managed to sound proud and this made Harry's anger increase ten fold. Percy continued. "I set the prisoners in the Ministry free."  
  
Harry and Ron exchanged a shock glance; this had to be a joke... a sick, sick joke...  
  
"You killed Tonks?" Harry whispered, barely daring to believe it.  
  
"Yes," replied Percy, "and Holloway. Neither of them suspected me of course but, by the time anyone had found out, I was back in the Auror department filing some papers."  
  
A light clicked in Harry's head suddenly. "So it was YOU who gave the Auror's the false reports!" Dumbledore looked quizzical for a moment but then sighed softly, which told Harry in no uncertain terms that Dumbledore knew about his premonition somehow.  
  
Percy nodded. "Yes. All the letters and facts that come into the Auror department came through the secretary... me. No one in the field gaining intelligence comes back into the office and checks their files, so all the files I changed were never noticed. They never knew that there were almost twice as many Dementors as the reports said. Plus I removed several Death Eater names from the list."  
  
"Such as who?" Dumbledore asked, obviously interested by this news.  
  
"Dawlish, Umbridge and Weasley," he said tonelessly. "I couldn't let them find out I was a Death Eater of course."  
  
He made a soft noise that sounded like a laugh, but the Veritaserum contained it mostly. Dumbledore turned away, his disgust evident.  
  
"Leave him with the other Death Eater's," he said to Kingsley, who promptly left. Dumbledore then turned to Professor McGonagall. "If you are feeling well enough, could you please fetch the Arthur." Professor McGonagall nodded and walked off, soon returning with Mr Weasley. He looked pale, and his gaze fell on Percy and he blanched.  
  
"So it's true..." he said, his eyes narrowing. His normally friendly, smiling face creased into a frown, which conveyed the fear, anger and sadness of what he now had to come to terms with. Just like Mr Crouch and his son, Harry thought bitterly.  
  
Mr Weasley's eyes then fell on Harry and Ron, and then on the body of Hermione. He blanched forwards and bent over to inspect her.  
  
"She's dead Mr Weasley." Harry said it very quietly, as he still hadn't come to terms with it, and Mr Weasley's eyes, tear filled, shot up to meet Harry's, but then Harry watched as Mr Weasley got to his feet and pulled Ron into a tight embrace. Mr Weasley held his son close to him, as Ron wept. Through his tears Ron managed to get a few words out.  
  
"And... he did it!" Ron said, his anger and emotions over spilling. "It was him! He killed her!" Harry put an arm out again to restrain Ron, who didn't put up much fight this time, dissolving once again into sobs. Professor McGonagall escorted him comfortingly upstairs and into another classroom.  
  
Dumbledore turned to face Mr Weasley. "Never have I seen such a sad sight Arthur," he said, his tone grave and almost apologetic. Mr Weasley just nodded. Dumbledore continued. "However we must go to matters in hand. What would you like done with your son?"  
  
Harry noted the way he referred to Percy as Arthur's son, as opposed to Death Eater or the condemned. Harry knew about Dumbledore and second chances, but even he was amazed by this influencing from his Headmaster. He would have said so, but his mouth seemed to have been cemented shut.  
  
Mr Weasley stood stock still for a moment. Harry could see the enormous battle going on inside his mind. On the one hand, he would have to act as a minister is supposed to act, and punish Percy for murder. On the other, he loved his son dearly. Mr Weasley's forehead creased slightly as he made his decision.  
  
"We will modify his memory," he said. "He is to think that he was attacked by you-know-who, and has been unconscious for a year."  
  
"No!" Harry couldn't stop himself, but he was shaking. "He killed Hermione!"  
  
"Harry..." It was Dumbledore who spoke, and not Mr Weasley. "That is the Minister's decision to make and not yours. I am as sorry as you are for the death of Hermione..."  
  
"I doubt that," said Harry. His emotions were finally over spilling, and like Ron, his temper and rage were bubbling away beneath the surface.  
  
Mr Weasley dropped his gaze from Harry. "I'm sorry." His voice was flat: flatter than Percy's had been, and beneath his rippling anger, Harry knew he meant it. "I will have to face Ron's wrath too, which may even be worse."  
  
"Harry," said Dumbledore softly, "you have to let it go for now. I think Mr Malfoy is coming around."  
  
Harry knew Dumbledore was trying to distract him, and he welcomed the offer. After looking down at the forlorn form of his friend, and a glance at Mr Weasley, Harry followed Dumbledore in the main hall.  
  
Draco Malfoy was stirring on the floor. His blonde hair was covered in sweat, and he put a hand on his head, which was grimacing. None other than Fred and George Weasley were helping him to his feet.  
  
"Mr Malfoy," Dumbledore said in a soft, concerned tone, "are you all right?"  
  
Draco nodded dumbly. "I'm ok thanks, sir." He talked in barely more then a whisper, and Harry saw him keep shooting glances at his father, who was also stirring. He had been bound with the other Death Eaters, but his mask had fallen astray, and he didn't look too happy at his predicament. He looked at his son angrily.  
  
"You could have got me killed!" Lucius roared, his pale face narrowed. "Why would you turn against your own father?"  
  
Draco turned, ashamed to his father. "Because I realised that what you believe in is wrong." He said it so quietly, that they barely caught it. "Purebloods are no better."  
  
Lucius choked on these words. "What... What are you saying?"  
  
"I'm saying there are more important things!" His voice was growing with confidence that Harry had never heard before, and Harry could tell this had been brewing all year. "I realised when we were on the train to school at the beginning of the year. Harry and I had a race on brooms outside the train and at the end of it I crashed into the track in front of the train. Harry flew down and picked me up from in front of the train to save me from being run over." Malfoy glanced at Harry before continuing. "After it happened, when I was by myself in the common room, I asked myself if I would have done the same thing for him, or if a Death Eater would have, and I was ashamed of the answer. I didn't want to become a Death Eater."  
  
"A wise decision," remarked Dumbledore, his pale eyes on Draco. "I must say, I knew about the race, but not about the incident at the end." He turned to Harry. "Your father would have been proud."  
  
Harry smiled slightly at this though. He remembered that, as a schoolboy like Harry, his father had saved Snape's life after Sirius had played a trick on him. Snape... Harry hadn't seen him since the before the Quidditch match. Before the discovery of Percy being a Death Eater, Harry had been sure that Snape had been one also. But now he knew that Snape did not kill Tonks and Holloway, or feed the Auror's any reports, he only had one bit of evidence against Snape. Dumbledore seemed to sense that Harry wanted to speak to him, but Draco hadn't quite finished.  
  
"Thanks Harry," he said, his expression clearing slightly. "I think I'll go and apologise to Granger too."  
  
Harry blanched. At Draco's inquisitive look, Harry looked away. "You're too late for that Draco. She's dead." Draco's eyes widened in shock, but Dumbledore spoke.  
  
"On that sad note," he said gravely, "could you send this message to Mr and Mrs Granger. It says I will be with them shortly." Draco stared for a moment, but then nodded dumbly and left. Dumbledore beckoned Harry and they left the room. They walked outside to the rubble that was the Quidditch stadium, where the Auror's were helping the injured to get to their feet, or to St Mungo's. Dumbledore sighed as they walked through the carnage.  
  
Harry broke the silence. "Professor..." he said, unsure of where to begin, "I- I think that Professor Snape may be... you know... bad."  
  
Professor Dumbledore smiled slightly, the first smile Harry had seen since Hermione had been found, and it was comforting. "Without meaning any offence Harry, but you do seem to always accuse Professor Snape."  
  
Harry coughed slightly to cover his grin. "But sir... he was at the Ministry at the time the Death Eaters were released. Also, I saw him talking to Dawlish during the exams, and a few days later, the Aurors received their fake reports. Now I know that Percy may have doctored them, but if Dawlish was a Death Eater also, why couldn't Snape have been."  
  
Dumbledore smiled sadly. "We know those two events to be the responsibility of Percy Weasley. Even under Veritaserum he did not mention Professor Snape. Also, I trust Snape."  
  
Harry decided to throw in his final piece of evidence. "There's another thing... During a detention with him, I saw him writing a letter to Voldemort."  
  
This got Dumbledore's attention. "But I told him not to write to him... how do you know this?"  
  
"Well," Harry began, eager now to see if Snape truly was a Death Eater, "I was in my detention and he was writing on a bit of parchment, but as he wrote further, the top part bent over the edge of the desk and I saw the words, "To L.V"..."  
  
Inexplicably, Dumbledore's face cleared and he let out a soft laugh. "My dear Harry," he said softly, "he was NOT writing to Voldemort. He was writing to me." Seeing Harry's shocked expression, Dumbledore went on.  
  
"Yes," he said, as he guided Harry away from a nearby Auror for a moment. "I don't mind telling YOU this, but they may be interested to hear that I live in a place called Luno Valley. It is where I was hiding out last year when the Auror's tried to arrest me."  
  
"Then where was Snape during the battle?" Harry asked quietly.  
  
"He obviously had to look like he was helping Voldemort didn't he?" Dumbledore murmured in response. "If you had seen him, you would have known that he was secretly helping us by attacking some of the Death Eaters from behind." He sighed, but then he eyed Harry again. "On another note, your transformation was brilliant." 


	37. Order Restored

Chapter 37 - Order Restored  
  
Harry didn't remember much of the aftermath of the battle with the Death Eaters. He sat with Ron in an empty classroom, just looking at the floor for a long time. Occasionally one would look across at the other, but neither could bring themselves to say something. Ron looked haggard and drawn; he had stopped crying, but Harry suspected that this was because he had no more tears left.  
  
Harry himself didn't know what to think. He was torn between enormous grief at the deaths of Hermione, Colin, Cho, Lavender and Professor Sprout, and anger and confusion at Percy's betrayal. Ron seemed to have calmed down slightly on that front, but Harry could see his fists clenching and unclenching on the arms of his chair.  
  
The first thing that made Harry smile since Hermione's death was the arrival of Ginny. Although she also looked deeply saddened, (Harry suspected Dumbledore had told them all), the relief at seeing her okay had a startling effect on Ron and on Harry. She hugged Ron tightly, and Harry was gladdened, as Ron seemed to rise from his depression on her arrival. Then she walked over to Harry.  
  
She looked like wanting to kiss him but Harry turned her away and hugged her tightly instead. He whispered his reason into her ear.  
  
"I don't think Ron could take that," he said softly, as Ron looked wistfully out of the window. As he hugged her tightly, Harry could tell from her laboured breathing that she was crying.  
  
"Why her though?" she said it as much to herself as to anyone.  
  
Harry sighed softly and ran his hand absentmindedly through her hair. "I don't know. I just don't know."

* * *

The next few days were a bit of haze for Harry. There was one bit though that neither Harry nor Ron would ever forget, and that was the meeting with Hermione's parents.  
  
Mr and Mrs Granger had arrived at Hogwarts the day after the battle, as soon as arrangements could be made. With them came a small girl who Harry knew to be Hermione's little sister, Sarah, who was nine. She had wept throughout the meeting, like her mother, and when Harry had passed on Hermione's final words of love to her parents Mr Granger broke down also.  
  
Both parents thanked Harry and Ron for being there for their daughter through the years, and both said Hermione had spoken of the two of them with love, respect and admiration. Mr Granger decided later that they would hold the funeral at Hogwarts, with her friends around her, along with the others who had died in the battle.  
  
Harry was not looking forward to the funeral. He had suffered enough grief by anyone's standards, and he also had the added trouble of being "famous Harry Potter". He had been asked half-heartedly by Dumbledore if he wanted to say something at the funeral, but Harry knew he wouldn't have been able to convey anything he wanted to say into a good speech. He would say goodbye to Hermione privately after the funeral.  
  
There were many tears at the funeral. The students wore their black uniform, though each wore a white armband as a mark of respect for the wonderful pupils and staff who had fallen. Gryffindor house were particularly upset, having lost three, though Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were also looking thoroughly dejected.  
  
There were very few Slytherins left, and these did not look very happy either. Malfoy stood off by himself, and at one point in the ceremony, when he had stood next to Harry, Harry had put a comforting hand on his shoulder. He was not sure why this effected him so much, but he knew that now he had another life long friend, one whom he would never have guessed at the beginning of his first year.  
  
The funeral ended with Dumbledore addressing the students. He reminded the students to unite, and love one another, and to take care of all. He raised his goblet gravely to those who had died, and to those who had fought valiantly in the D.A.  
  
After the funeral Harry, Ron and Ginny went and sat with their backs to a tree over looking the lake. They were going to wait for everyone to leave before they paid their last respects to Hermione. They sat in comfortable, grieving silence, before Harry looked up to see Professor Dumbledore striding the lawn to meet them. He motioned for them to stay sitting before conjuring a chair for himself to sit down on. He sat with them in silence for a few moments before speaking.  
  
"I assume you are going back later?" he asked quietly. Harry nodded, averting his gaze from that of his headmaster. Dumbledore looked at them all in turn, and he smiled fondly. "Never in all my years have I known wizards and witches like you three. With Hermione you were some of the most inquisitive, intelligent and brave people of your age. You truly would have made your father proud Harry. I can accord you no higher honour."  
  
Harry looked up into Dumbledore's tired face. He opened his mouth to speak, but Dumbledore held up a hand. "I came to ask you something Harry." His eyes, although obviously still mournful from the funeral, had regained a small amount of their old sparkle. "Do you want to move into Godric's Hollow?"  
  
Harry's heart leapt. "You mean, I could live there? And Voldemort wouldn't find me?"  
  
"We could again use the Fidelius Charm while you are there," said Dumbledore simply. "Because this would be a different charm, you would be quite safe at Godric's Hollow. Who would you like as your secret keeper?"  
  
Harry's reply was instant. "Ron." He said it simply and he exchanged a look with Ron. Ron looked truly happy for the first time since Hermione had died, and he gave Harry a smile. Ginny saw it and understood why Harry had chosen Ron instead of her, and Harry was grateful for this.  
  
Dumbledore smiled. "OK then. Mr Weasley if you would follow me then, I'm sure the others will wait here for you." Ron got to his feet.  
  
"Doesn't Harry need to come?" Ron asked, frowning.  
  
"Not at all," said Dumbledore amiably, "as long as you tell him it's ok for him to live there."  
  
Ron laughed, and walked away with Dumbledore. Ginny leant back against Harry and they sat in silence for a while. Then Ginny sighed softly.  
  
"Thanks for doing that," she said. "For Ron I mean. I didn't know if he would ever smile again."  
  
Harry nodded. "I had the same worry myself."

* * *

The last month at school passed very quickly. Each day Harry, Ron and Ginny would go down to the graves to pay their respects. The graves had been placed next to the castle on a bit of lawn over looking the lake. Sometimes other Gryffindors, friends of Hermione and Lavender and Colin Creevey, would accompany them.  
  
Harry decided that he would go on the train with Ron and Ginny, so that he could see Mr and Mrs Weasley, but also so that he could thank the Dursleys. He knew that he had had a lot of miserable times at the Dursleys' house, but he knew also that they had taken him in, and they had taken care of him, so he really should thank them.  
  
The end of year feast the day before the journey, reminded Harry forcefully of his fourth year. There were black banners up as a mark of respect for those lost, and the cheers for Gryffindor winning the house cup again were muted and short. Dumbledore had delivered a very similar speech to his speech at the funeral, although this time he acknowledged Harry in person. Harry looked down at his feet as the school toasted to him, and to his fighting off Voldemort and his worst Death Eater, Bellatrix Lestrange.  
  
Perhaps the most emotional moment came after the speech. Harry had been left sat at the table having wanted to just sit for awhile. As he left the hall a few minutes later, he found Neville in the Entrance Hall. He had obviously been waiting for Harry.  
  
"Harry I..." he was stammering slightly. "I didn't know you killed... her." Neville looked up at Harry, a glimmer of hope and happiness in his eyes. "Thank you Harry. Thank you for getting some revenge for me."  
  
And with that, Neville turned and walked back up the stairs, leaving Harry standing by himself in the Entrance Hall. He couldn't help smiling slightly and he felt a tear rolling down his cheek.

* * *

The train journey home was a subdued one. Harry sat in a compartment with Neville, Ron and Ginny. None said much. Harry watched the castle out of sight, knowing he would see it again very soon, for Professor Dumbledore had told him to ride back on the train the following night.  
  
The four of them stepped off the platform at King's Cross Station. Neville bid them good bye, before walking off to find his grandmother. Harry turned with Ron and Ginny to see the other Weasley's making their way swiftly through the station. Mrs Weasley immediately pulled her two children into a fierce hug, and Harry allowed himself a small, sad smile. He more then anything wanted a parent to do that to him. He found one, as Mrs Weasley turned to him, her eyes shining brightly with fresh tears.  
  
"Harry, dear." She pulled him into a hug as well, and Harry felt his own tears suddenly blurring his vision. After a few moments she pushed him away from her slightly. "It will be ok some day. You will see. You will see her again."  
  
Harry looked up at her, frowning slightly. "Why, you don't think that this is the end do you Harry?" She gave him an encouraging smile, which he returned. Then he looked behind the Weasley's and saw the Dursley's, all three of them standing. He separated himself from the Weasley's and walked over to them.  
  
"Where is your stuff boy?" Mr Dursley said, craning his neck to look at the Weasley's. "And where is your other friend, the one with bushy brown hair?"  
  
Harry looked up at them sadly. "My stuff is at the school still. And Hermione..." he couldn't help it. He trailed off and put a hand over his eyes, his face scrunched up in his sadness. "She's dead."  
  
Aunt Petunia clapped a hand to her mouth. "How? Not... him?" Harry nodded mutely. Then Aunt Petunia did something she had never done before; she hugged Harry. Then she pulled back. "I'm sorry Harry." There was a brief pause. "Why is your stuff at your school?"  
  
Harry looked up at the Dursley's, who were all looking at him in a different way to ever before. "Well... I've got a house!" he said it suddenly, and he wasn't sure why this made him feel good, but he felt an elated bubble inside him.  
  
"A house?" asked Uncle Vernon, obviously shocked.  
  
"It was my parents," Harry said simply. "It was rebuilt earlier this year."  
  
"So... you're not coming back?" Aunt Petunia said it, almost as a whisper, but there was no hope in her voice, as Harry would have thought there would have been. There was sadness. Harry nodded, looking up into his Aunt's concerned face.  
  
"I just came back on the train to... to say... to say thanks." Harry said it clearly, and his eyes met with his Aunt's, then his Uncle's, then with Dudley's. Aunt Petunia started to cry and she pulled Harry again into a hug.  
  
"You're more like Lily then you know," she said quietly, and Harry knew how much these words meant to his Aunt. She broke away from him and stepped aside as Uncle Vernon stepped forward.  
  
He was looking at Harry in a very strange, almost protective way. He coughed slightly, as if unsure of what his words should be. After a few awkward moments, he cleared his throat.  
  
"You'll always have a home at number four, privet drive, if ever you need it. Just send us an owl." Harry was stunned. This almost fatherly show of affection was unheard of for Uncle Vernon, and his hatred of owls was renowned. Harry nodded dumbly, but Uncle Vernon seemed to understand. He extended a large hand, which Harry shook. Even Dudley came forward to shake Harry's hand.  
  
Harry led them over to where the Weasley's were still standing, where they had obviously been watching. Arthur was looking approvingly at the way the Dursleys had treated Harry. Harry turned to face the Weasley's and the Dursley's in one go. He wasn't sure himself as to what he was going to say, but he knew he had to say something. He looked up at them in a totally new light. They were his family.  
  
"Thank you," he said simply and quietly, his eyes meeting those of every person in the group in turn. "Thank you all for being here for me. I'll never forget it." He smiled at them, and Ginny hurried forwards and hugged him. The others smiled back at him. He separated himself from Ginny, shook Ron's hand and gave them all a final smile, before walking back to the train.  
  
He watched them all from out of his window. He waved at them as the train hissed steam out of its top before finally pulling out of the station. He leaned out of the window and he yelled his goodbyes until they were out of sight.

* * *

The next day, Harry found himself trudging up the summer-spilled lanes of Hogsmeade, his suitcase held tightly behind him, Hedwig's empty cage under one arm. He wandered up the main street, and then down the driveway to his house, Godric's Hollow. Upon opening the door, he found Dobby and Winky awaiting him.  
  
"We will take your suitcase Mr Potter," Dobby said excitedly. "How are you?"  
  
"Well Dobby," said Harry slowly, "I'm home." And with that, he placed his possessions on the floor, and went upstairs into his bedroom. His parents were waiting for him.  
  
THE END

* * *

Author's note: Thank you all for reading my story, I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. I am sorry for the sad times towards the end, but do not worry: Harry Potter will return. The sequel is in the planning stages and will run through Harry's seventh and final year at Hogwarts. It will be called "Harry Potter and the Next Realm." Maybe Hermione isn't as gone as you would think...  
  
Please review this story and my other little, short one. I may write a much bigger sequel to that as well at some point, but Harry Potter is my priority.  
  
Wish you all the best  
  
The Guitarist 


	38. Link to sequel

Link to the sequel to this story, Harry Potter and the Next Realm:

www. fanfiction .net/s/1940586/1/Harry_Potter_and_the_Next_Realm


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